


Five times Hera celebrated Mother's Day with her kids (and one time she didn't)

by rebelsfromstars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: 5+1 Things, And Hera loves her kids, Angst, Fluff, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hera being a mom because there is too little of that, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I couldn't stop myself, Kanan is mentioned a lot, Kids just really love Hera, Kinda, Mother's Day, Motherhood, Space Mom hugs her children bc canon didn't give me that, all the motherly bonds and feelings here, and of course mentions of death, and there is not a lot of them, and you all can suspect what last chapter is, chopper is sneaky but that pays off, for her both adopted and born children, it's impossible to not have angst in this fandom anymore, ketbine is only mentioned in chapter 4 but there is more later on, more tags will be added, space kids, space mom, teen and up just to be safe though there are only mentions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-10 22:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15301227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelsfromstars/pseuds/rebelsfromstars
Summary: There were actually a lot more times when Hera felt it. When she really felt that she was their mother. All of them. But those celebrations started to be ones that she recalled quicker and that memory of them were making her smile.She was proud of them. She believed they could go on even without her. And even when it was hard to let go that was what she sometimes had to do.But most of all, she loved them with all of her heart. And she knew it was reciprocated feeling. She felt it every day.





	1. A few months BBY

**Author's Note:**

> This was sitting in my head for such a long time now that I had to get it out. I thought I would end writing this fic for Mother's Day, but I totally forgot when it was celebrated in USA. Then I thought I'll get it done for Mother's Day in my country, but exams kicked in really hard. So I know I'm super late with this, and I'm actually posting this on my birthday, but hey, mothers are mothers all the time, and not only on Mother's Day. 
> 
> I wanted a little to celebrate with this fic Hera as a mother, as well. She was amazing with Ezra and Sabine, and I'm sure she was as well with Jacen. Making mistakes too, because she's human. It might be a little bit too much of a hopeful and positive vision what I wrote here, but I needed Hera to be happy. Though I acknowledged her difficult situation and tried to show how hard it must have been for her, and how she might be not happy at all in the beginning. 
> 
> There is also a lot of Kanera feels here, because I think I can't write anything without it. I also realize that there is maybe a little too much of Kanan mentioned here. Honestly, I'm still not over his death, and trying to get into Hera's head I don't think she would be either. But I tried to show that time heals a little and that it's easier as time passes. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're gonna enjoy this. I'll try to update as quickly as I can, very possibly day after day as I'm finally free and on vacation.

Hera didn't even realize there was a day like that, until she heard local kids running to their mother and wishing her all the best on the Mother's Day. She smiled a little, but not without a remorse.

She didn't feel like a mother. Not yet. There was nothing weird about it. She was only in her five month, she barely started showing.

And still, she already felt like a mother, but not yet towards her unborn child. Sometimes (or even most times) it still felt surreal. But Sabine who she knew was waiting for her in the _Ghost_ was very real. And Ezra wherever he was. She missed him so much. She and Sabine were still looking for him whenever they had time. But it all was fruitless. They didn't have enough informations.

She was lost in her thoughts as she made her way back from market to _Ghost_. Mother's Day. Funny. She didn't remember ever celebrating it with her own mother. Well, no that there was time for that, during war. Nor did she ever celebrated Father's Day.

She felt a sharp tug of pain in her heart when she realized that her child will not as well. Right after, an overwhelming anger took over her. Her emotions tend to change really easily recently. She didn't know if it was more a result of her pregnancy or her grief. Probably both.

She didn't even realized that she stopped in her tracks until she heard Chopper beeping at her sadly.

“Yeah, Chop, I'm fine,” she lied automatically, not even considering telling anything other to him. He beeped at her a ridiculous amount of binary that were at the same time rude and worried. She smirked a little under her nose.

“Oh, really?” she answered, not really knowing what else to say.

The small distraction didn’t last long, and her smirk immediately fell off from her face.

She will not let it happen. She can't.

In that moment, she decided that their child will know Kanan. She will tell them all about their father. No matter how hard it might be for her to talk about it. They deserved it. And it was all she could give.

She didn't realize when exactly, but she found herself in the cargo bay of her ship, the only measure of time being a silent buzz of Chopper rolling by her side. She also didn't realize that Sabine was by her side as well, until she felt her touching her arm, with a gentle tug, leading her to sit on one of the crates. Hera followed, suddenly feeling very dizzy.

“You're alright?” but she couldn't get an answer out of herself, feeling that tightness in her chest. She couldn't breath. “Hera? Hera?” she heard, and she looked up at Sabine. She was worried, holding her hand, but looking for any signs of bad condition she might have.

“Breath Hera. Breath.” she said to her calmly when she realized Hera had problems with that. “In. And Out.” she continued and did one deep breath in and out to demonstrate her. Hera followed her example. Slowly, she came back to normal breathing, her chest a little lighter. Just then she noticed that Chopper laid his manipulator at her thigh in what he probably assumed was a comforting gesture. She appreciated that.

“You're okay?” asked Sabine after a while. Hera nodded.

“Yes, I'm just … I needed a moment. Thank you.” she answered. Sabine smiled.

“We better go upstairs. I have something for you.” she said. Hera looked at her surprised, and a small smirk appeared on her face.

“Really? For what occasion?” she asked, but Sabine only shook her head smiling.

“You'll see,” she said, and Hera had no other choice as to follow the girl.

Intrigued, she entered the galley after her, and was surprised to see Zeb decorating some sort of a cake. She was even more, when she looked at the table and saw an actual dinner on it, and not just any. It looked fancy and smelt delicious and Hera couldn’t get out of an awe.

“You did all of this?” she asked. Sabine nodded, smiling.

“Don’t sound so surprised. It was always me on this ship who was cooking.” answered Zeb, smirking. He didn’t add what was at the end of his tongue, but he didn’t have to. Hera knew it, and was grateful for him to do so. It was still too painful to mention Kanan in casual conversations. Like he was still with them.

“I’m just wondering what is the occasion,” she said, smirking.

That was when Sabine approached her, reaching out with something she had in her hand.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” she said cheerfully, almost as if she was still the same girl that joined her crew so many years ago.

Hera could only look at her in astonishment for a moment, before she could say something.

“I’m … But I’m not …” and then unexpected happened, because Sabine launched herself into her arms. She looked at her in shock. Sabine was almost never like that with her. She was always closer to Kanan.

But when the first wave of shock wore off her, she reciprocated the embrace, closing her arms around the younger girl.

“You are to us, Hera. Never forget that.” she mumbled, barely recognizable, but Hera got it. She felt threatening tears, gathering in her eyes. Damn, that emotional ride was starting to be exhausting. But she really was moved, to know that they cared so much about her. She run her hand through Sabine’s hair.

When Sabine withdrew, she was immediately surrounded by fur, and she laughed as Zeb picked her up, easily, with one arm.

He put her down, and they were smiling at her, almost expectedly, and then Hera realized Sabine was still holding something in her hand.

“Oh,” she said, and reached out to examine it.

She was quite speechless, just looking at what she had in hand.

It was a piece of stone. Hera didn’t know the name of it, but it was obvious for her it wasn’t just any stone. It was slightly sparkling when she was moving it, and had a color of deep black. But the best part was what was on it.

Silhouettes engraved. How, she didn’t know. But there was her with Zeb, Sabine and Ezra, as she was having her arms stretched around them. Normally, that would be impossible, but it was made in a way as if she was watching over them with all the proportions right. Meant, Sabine must have done it.

But the most touching was the element to the right. As if from the distance, another silhouette was watching them. And she looked bit by bit like her own mother.

She didn’t know what to say. A simple thank you was not enough. It was incredible gift, and she never even expected them to do anything.

But when she looked at them she didn’t need to talk, as Sabine was already eager to explain her everything.

“We did it quite a long time ago. We just realized we never gave you anything for that day and that we should.”

“You really didn’t have to,” Hera cut in.

“We wanted to,” answered Zeb.

“I sent boys to look for the ideal stone, I had already an idea in my head. Then Ezra helped me. He built a very little device with the part of his kyber crystal from lightsaber. He told me he grabbed a lot of them when he looked for the second crystal, but i somehow doubt that. Then I could start working. I did most of it. Ezra insisted he wanted to do something too. That’s why Zeb’s ear is so unnaturally high, I couldn’t fix it.”

“Thanks kid,” murmured Zeb, as if Ezra could hear him.

“And I thought I would include your mother. Ezra described me her from the painting you had in your house on Ryloth. And Zeb decided to not involve with art, so he’s making food now.”

“Hey, in some cultures food is art as well!” he said. Hera shook her head smiling.

“Thank you. All of you. This is amazing.” she said, and received two big grins in response.

“Now, let’s see how that tastes like, because it definitely smells good!” she said encouragingly, and they got to eating.

Later, when they were full of food, laughing, remembering old times that they shared, and getting to tell the stories of their own, Hera realized how grateful for them she was. Not all of her family was lost. And soon, it’ll get bigger. Yes, she did lost a lot. A brother, a mother, a partner, and a son. But Zeb and Sabine needed her. It was good to be reminded of that.

She was listening to one of Zeb’s stories about his old granny, and when he came to the funny conclusion, laughter stopped halfway through her.

Sabine and Zeb looked at her, worry on their faces.

“Hera?”

“Is everything alright?”

She slid her hand down to her stomach, mouth wide opened. She looked at them, and she felt it again. So, she wasn’t imagining this.

“They kicked,” she said quietly, surprised by how soft her voice sounded. She blinked away the tears. For the first time since Kanan’s death there was pure happiness in them. If only for a moment.

Zeb and Sabine looked at her astonished.

“Can I?” asked Sabine after a moment. Hera nodded eagerly, and Sabine moved to her side, kneeling beside her, and lying her hand beside Hera’s. Zeb looked a little hesitentaly, but Hera took his hand and laid it on top of hers and Sabine’s. One of his fingers ended up on her stomach as well, so he could feel it more precisely.

They waited a moment. Hera tried to relax, but she couldn’t let go of her anticipation completely. The movement inside her was so weird. It was so hard to describe. But she wanted to feel it again.

And suddenly the baby kicked again. She looked at Zeb and Sabine with smile on her face. She watched how astonishment turned to joy on their faces.

“I can’t believe it,” said Sabine quietly.

“Me neither,” whispered Hera. Zeb only shook his head.

“They will be a great fighter with kicks like that,” he said, after a while, with voice a little more hoarse than usual. Hera and Sabine glanced at him a little surprised, but not really. They knew that under all those muscles Zeb was a soft soul. Nevertheless, Hera was moved. They were treating her like a real family. Because they were. They proved long time ago their bonds were stronger than blood.

In her mind, Hera came back to the gift her kids gave her. She wished so much Ezra would be with them right now. He would be so excited, she knew that.

And, oh, how she wished Kanan was with them too.

He would love this.

She didn’t realize she had tears in her eyes, until she heard Sabine.

“Oh, Hera,” were her quiet words, as she must have realized the thought process and the conclusion that Hera came with. And then Hera felt her arms closing around her once more this day. She returned it, sobbing quietly and accepting the comfort Sabine was giving.

“Karabast,” murmured Zeb. It wasn’t a few seconds after that Hera felt him joining the hug, embracing both of them, with Hera still sitting.

Those past few months Hera didn’t let herself for fantasizing. She rarely let herself for that before either. But till now, it didn’t feel real. She knew she was pregnant, but it just didn’t feel like it. And know the realization hit her two times harder.

She was going to have a baby. Kanan’s baby. And hers. Their child. And he won’t be there.

She squeezed her eyes tighter to stop herself from weeping. She was already crying before them, she wanted to maintain at least some of her posture.

And just like she usually didn’t, now, the picture painted before her eyes. Clear and bright. Kanan was with her. She could simply see his smile, so pure, so joyful, as he felt their baby moving under his hand. She could see tears in his eyes. She knew he would be moved. She could see him planting a soft kiss on her belly. The joy would radiate from him. He always wanted that. He never told her, not directly. But she knew. She could see it in the way he was talking to Ezra, or in the way he was working with Sabine. She saw it on some occasions when they were around little kids. He wanted that. He was meant to be a father. He would be a wonderful one to their child.

How could she do it? How could she bring this child into this cruel, cruel world without their father? Without his guidance, his care, his love?

She will have to do it for him. Guide double. Care double. Love double.

And for the second time tonight she promised herself to be open. To talk about it. To talk with her child about Kanan, to let them know him. No matter her pain.

“Promise me, if I can’t, you gotta tell them about Kanan. All you can. All he was.” she said, withdrawing from Sabine. She looked from her to Zeb.

The Lasat was the first to nod his head.

“Course we will,” he assured her.

“You knew him best. But I promise.” answered Sabine.

And she was right, of course. And she wanted to tell them. She just didn’t know what will win - her need to keep her pain inside and not let it out, or her selflessness. Because they deserved to know him. She just needed a plan B, in case her mental health wouldn’t let her to do that.

But somehow, she felt that it can maybe even improve thanks to it. When more time will pass, the wounds won’t be that fresh. And then she may heal exactly through that. Through talking about him.

She just knew, she wanted to be better. She was certain that’s what being a mother will include from her. In some ways, she already lived through that. In another form, but at least she knew it was awaiting for her. Their child deserved it.

 _For them_ , she promised herself. For them, for Sabine, Ezra and Zeb. She will be the best mother.


	2. A few months ABY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I didn't thank my wonderful beta before and that's outrageous! She deserves all of my thanks and gratitude, cause she's the best - Thank you [Anoray](https://ofourown.org/users/Anoray/pseuds/Anoray) for your support and time that you devote for my stories <3
> 
> Now, this is longer, almost half as long as the first one. And there are longer ones further down the road.
> 
> Anyway, hope you're gonna enjoy it, kudos and comments are always love, and if I could I would hug every single one of you for reading and liking my stories <3

It wasn’t easy those past nine months that Jacen was with them. It wasn’t easy before. Had it ever been?

The last thing Hera wanted, was to be bitter, but she knew there were simpler times before. Her first solo adventures. Nothing could beat that feeling of freedom she had then. The early years with Kanan when they let themselves be more carefree. Times spend with kids. But there were less and less of them as the war raged on, and soon war took from her more than she ever thought it would. More than she was ready to let go of.

And it’s not that she didn’t get the moments of happiness now. Her son was a ball of sunshine and she had Zeb and Sabine. But the Rebellion seemed to take blow after blow recently, and honestly, it felt terrible. She felt more like she was losing than winning, and though she didn’t lose her hope or drive, she just sometimes felt tired. And afraid. What was Kanan’s sacrifice for, if they were going to lose now? What galaxy was awaiting her son? She didn’t want him to live in the world like that, with constant war above his head, like it was with her. And for her, it was too late. She will be always fighting. But she didn’t want that for her kid.

There were many more fears. But the safety of her son and the success of the Rebellion were the ones that were nagging her the most.

But she kept on going. She couldn't let go. This fight was always all she had. She couldn't stop, now. This was who she was. And she had things to fight for. For Kanan’s sacrifice to not be in vain. For people to not suffer.  For kids to live and be happy. For her son to have a future.

She was dragged away from her thoughts when the doors to the tower opened and Sabine came in, with Jacen in her arms.

Hera smiled at them, and the immediate reaction was Sabine's gentle smile in return, and Jacen’s wide grin.

“Ma!” He exclaimed happily, reaching with his hands towards her. Sabine shifted him on her hip, and walked towards Hera.

She outstretched her own arms, not being able to not smile when Jacen was almost jumping in Sabine's arms to get to her. And then, he was safely in her arms. Hera smiled, ruffling his hair as he was standing on her lap with his tiny arms around her neck.

“How was he?” Hera asked Sabine who sat by the table across her, so she could see her.

“Very calm, no troubles. People adored him. Though some of them were looking at me disgusted. They probably thought I’m dyeing his hair in such a young age or something like that.” she said, smirking. Jacen shifted on Hera’s lap, so now he was sitting. She could feel him immediately starting to play with the fabric of her shirt.

“And how was your business?” She asked.

“Under control. I mostly just try to keep them informed and supplied. From the liberation, people don't want to let go of that so they mostly don't need motivation to fight. They just sometimes need an experienced hand to help them. Someone who can organize things and who they know would help them, if the Empire was about to show up here again.” Hera smiled at her.

“That's what a leader is for,” she said, and couldn't help a feeling of pride. Sabine looked at her like she got it. Maybe she did. Hera didn't try to hide it from her voice. She was proud of her. To step up like that, guarding the whole planet on her own, was a great accomplishment and a huge responsibility. Hera was glad Sabine learned how to do that.

“Ma!” She heard again the quiet syllab from the tiny boy in her arms. He couldn't say the whole word yet, but everyone knew what he was trying to say.

She exchanged smile with Sabine, before she looked down at her son, with the same smile still on her face.

“Jacen,” she started, but he only got a little tighter tug at her shirt in response. “Jacey,” she continued. He looked up at her for a moment with a bright smile, but looked down again, occupied with her buttons. “Hey, Jacen, look at the mommy,” she said, holding him under his arms and making him stand on her lap. He giggled at her.

“Jacen,” she kept on, in the melodic voice. He was looking at her, laughing. “Say _mama_ ,” A wide grin appeared on her face when he only started laughing more, and waving his hands around.

“Honey,” she kept on, holding him and gently bouncing him on her legs. He looked at her bewildered, and reached out with his hand to touch her cheek.

“Ma!” He exclaimed, happily. Hera raised her eyes to the ceiling, but was smiling nevertheless.

“Okay, so only _ma_ , I’ll take it.” she said. She chuckled, when Jacen repeated the syllab once more.

“But you know, little love, you could just say it once more --” she stopped when he interrupted her with the same sound. “ -- Yeah, just like that. But without a pause. Huh? Doesn’t it sound good to you?” she asked.

“Ma,” he repeated once again, and Hera really did try to not roll her eyes, but it was impossible. She heard Sabine’s laughter.

“Why you’re so stubborn, I have no idea,” she mumbled, smiling. Sabine threw her a smirk.

“After his parents, I guess,” she said. Hera had to stop herself from rolling her eyes again.

But then a sad smile appeared on her face. Yeah, if there was one thing that she and Kanan had shared in a high amount, it was stubbornness, so no wonder Jacen inherited so much of it.

This was how their day went. Hera rarely had a day off, but she was with Sabine, mostly because of a recon mission she was send with to Lothal. However, they soon found that there was not much happening. Hera decided to stay a little longer, just in case, but she knew she was also staying because she wanted to spend some time with Sabine. And as much as Lothal was reminding her of painful memories, she had a lot of good ones from there as well. It felt like home, and she could spend a few days here without feeling guilty for abandoning her cause, or neglecting her duties. And it wasn’t like the Rebel Command couldn’t contact her from there.

They ate a dinner, which mostly Sabine made, and Hera tried to help her, she really did, but Sabine was waving her off each time. And it probably was better for them. Despite her trying, Hera still had problems with cooking without burning something.

But when Sabine placed a cake on the table, Hera eyed her suspiciously.

“Sabine, this looks delicious, but I don’t think I can eat more now. What’s the occasion, anyway?” Sabine looked at her from across the table, smirking, and shaking her head.

“Hera, you are impossible, really,” she said, and walked away to one of the drawers, apparently looking for something. Hera, still not knowing what was going on, intended to watch her, but the little one sitting on her lap, demanded her attention, as he started to pull at the button on her flightsuit.

“What’s happening, Jacey?” she asked, as her hand went through his hair. He looked up at her, smiling, as he pulled tighter at the button, and closer to his mouth.

“Oh, no, no, love, you don’t do that,” she reprimanded him, as she took the button out of his hands. He looked at her, grinning, like it was the best game in the galaxy, and reached out with his hands once more towards the known aim. Hera shook her head.

“No, honey. No buttons in the mouth. What is even so good about it, tell me, Jacen, it’s all cold and hard.” he didn’t have a verbal answer for that. He only looked at her giggling, as he wrapped his hands around one of hers, instead of the button.

“Ha! I found it!” exclaimed Sabine, and Hera looked at her, still smiling from watching her son playing with her hand.

“What did you find?” she asked. Sabine smiled, and came closer to her. When she was close enough, she laid a small disc on the table.

“Happy Mother’s Day, Hera.” she said, and Hera looked at her surprised, before she realized that, indeed, it was Mother’s Day.

“Sabine, you really didn’t have to,” she said, as she stood up, and carefully placed Jacen on the ground where the blanket for him was already spread.

She embraced the girl, smiling. Stars, she really did missed her. But she understood Sabine had her own duties, and she respected that. It’s not like she didn’t have her own. She was even afraid that it was her on who they could put a bigger blame for not meeting more often.

“It’s nothing, really,” she answered to that, as they parted. She took the disc in her hands once more and handed it to Hera.

“It’s not much, but I think you will like it. Chopper helped me a lot, by the way.” She said, and Hera looked at the ground at her droid who was occupied with keeping her child safe from any sharp objects on the ground. He beeped something that Hera could only interpret as a sign of affection from him.

“Thanks, Chop,” she said, as she slid the disc to her pocket.

“So the whole cake is also for this occasion?” she asked, smirking.

“For the record, I didn’t do it myself, but it’s the best on this side of the planet, as I was said,” she said. Hera grinned widely, the kind of a smile she almost forgot she still could do.

When they had enough of place in their stomachs, they ate the cake, and indeed it was as delicious as it looked like. They sat at the old couch, a little bit improved by Sabine’s hands, as they were finishing the dessert. From there, they had an easy look-out point for Jacen, because even though Hera trusted Chopper, she still prefered to monitor situation, if she could.

Before Sabine could explain her exactly what her gift was, a beep of the incoming transmission, echoed through the tower, from Hera’s comlink. She groaned.

“I hope it’s not the Command Centre,” she murmured. Sabine chuckled. She never before saw Hera complaining about _that_.

But when Hera accepted the transmission, the very well known Lasat appeared before them, with a big, wide grin on his face.

“Zeb? What’s happening? Is everything alright with your mission?” asked Hera, and Sabine shook her head, smiling. She knew it probably will get some time for her to be used to the wishes on that day, but well Sabine could only blame herself. They could have done something for her earlier, and not just started last year.

“Yep, we just came back. But I commed you for another reason.” Hera smiled, and Sabine’s soul brightened. Hera should value herself more in that matter, and she was glad she started to recognize that.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” exclaimed Zeb, happily.

“Thank you, Zeb,” she answered, with a beautiful smile on her face, the one Sabine saw rarely now. Usually, with Jacen or them involved. Or after a good flight.

“We’re just about to watch our gift,” added in Sabine.

“Good timing then. Put it on!” he said. Sabine raised her eyebrow.

“You’re barely see anything, holos on holo,” she remarked.

“Nevermind, I want to see Hera’s face, when she’ll see it,” he answered. Well, fair enough.

“Okay,” said Sabine, and moved to the holo-projector. Hera’s eyes wandered curious from Sabine to Jacen to keep an eye on him. Currently, he was crawling on the blanket, Chopper rolling behind him.

When all was ready, Sabine suited herself on the couch next to her, and clicked something on the remote.

Hera watched in surprise as the picture was shown on the projector.

“I arranged them in chronological order,” said Sabine, but Hera was lost in the memory of the picture.

A dejarik table on the Ghost. Her, Kanan, and Zeb around it, laughing. Kanan had an arm around her and she was leaning slightly into him, Zeb sitting across them. They joy radiated from it. Chopper must have took it. Hera didn’t remember the moment he must have done it, meaning he did it in secret. She suspected he was doing that, for a long time now.

She remembered the moment though, more or less. The moment of relax, after one of the toughter missions. She remembered it was one of the Zeb’s well-known by now stories that made them all laughing from the top of their lungs. She also remembered being really tired after that one, hence her head resting on Kanan’s shoulder.

She smiled, though her heart ached.

Sabine put on the next one. This was a little bit after Sabine joined. She still didn’t trust them much then. The picture shown them sitting in the galley, Sabine with a pout on her face, as Zeb was smiling at her, trying to make her laugh. Hera and Kanan sat across them, looking at each other worried. When Hera looked at the image long enough she noticed that Sabine tried not to laugh. It was precious to be able to renew that memory in her head.

The next one was taken a little later. Sabine was more in tune with them. She and Zeb were elbowing each other with smirks, as Hera in the picture looked at them amused. Right after it, came the one with Sabine and Kanan doing dishes. Hera remembered it perfectly, because she was the one who took it. She remembered it was something about a bet that Sabine lost. Kanan was smirking wickedly in this one, right towards the camera, like he used to do, and Sabine was caught doing the eye-roll, and she probably had her middle finger up, which Hera noticed only now.

“Sabine,” she said, looking at her, trying to sound reprimanding, but really she was more amused than angry. The girl laughed.

“What? You made me do chores with Kanan for two weeks! And you know how he always tried to irritate me.” she said, still laughing. Hera shook her head smiling.

There were a few more pictures before Ezra showed in any of them, but one was especially touching. It was only of Hera and Sabine talking to each other, and smiling, while doing the repairs in the engineering room on the Ghost. Hera guessed it was also Chopper who took it.

And then there were the ones with Ezra. These were hilarious ones. A lot of funny accidents caught by Chopper or Sabine when it came to memorizing the boys forever as they were fooling around. Kanan with his hand on Ezra’s shoulder and soft smiles on their faces. Or the one with her, Sabine and Ezra caught in the middle of talk. Both kids looked really excited, and if she remembered correctly, she was explaining them some flying tricks, there. And she didn't know how Chopper managed to do it, or maybe it was rather Sabine deducting after the altitude from which the picture was taken, but there was one thing there captured that she would never forget.

Barely few months in the crew and Ezra already trusted them and needed them, and Hera’s heart bleeded when she remembered how much he went through and how broken he was when they took him in. She remembered when one night he came to common, looking for something to drink and saw her and Kanan over the plan of some mission. He had his blanket wrapped around him, and they knew immediately that something was wrong. Kanan asked him about it, and after a few minutes he confessed how much he missed his parents. Hera remembered how she went to the galley to make him a cup of hot cocoa. And when she came back he was snuggling into Kanan. The surprising part was that when she sat next to them, he snuggled to her as well.

They stayed like that for a long time, and Hera knew they dozed off. That's when Sabine must have took the picture. They woke up sore, but the smile on Ezra's face was worth it.

She didn’t intend to tear up - and she didn’t - she could hold tears from falling down, but it didn’t mean they didn’t appear in her eyes, nevertheless. And the cause of it was the picture of all of them - there even was Chopper on it, and Hera had no idea who took it. But it was all of them, in the cargo hold of her ship. They all were laughing, barely holding it together, Sabine with a hand propped on Zeb’s side, as he was smiling wickedly at Ezra. The poor boy was almost choking from laughter. She was right next to him with a hand on his shoulder, and a heartfelt smile on her face. Next to her was Kanan, looking like he was shaking his head, but with a soft smile on his face that she adored to see so much that she was afraid so much she would forget, and what was proved her wrong in the dreams she had. (Happy dreams about Kanan weren’t often, it were usually nightmares that she had about him. But there were those rare times she saw him in her mind happy. These were even worse to wake up from.) And now she also could see it on this picture. And the look of all of them happy, joy radiating from them, it was consoling to remember them in the happy moments, when they all were together.

The next pictures were the newest ones. With Jacen right after he was born. All three of them, Zeb and Sabine holding their youngest brother. She was also surprised to see herself, holding hand to her growing stomach from the time when she was pregnant.

“I did it,” Sabine admitted, smiling at her. She could also see in the corner of her eye, Zeb’s smirk from the holo.

And then a few very recent ones. She was especially moved by the one on which she was sitting with Jacen on her lap, Sabine right next to her, and Zeb standing behind them, as they were looking at something which Hera didn’t remember now. But seeing her family compared to how it was before was making her feel a lot of things, a lot of which she couldn’t name, but she knew it was a great deal of sadness and joy altogether.

“That’s the last one,” said Sabine, turning off the holo-projector. Hera looked at her and Zeb from the holo.

“Thank you so much for this,” she said, smiling. Sabine reached with her hand and placed it on her shoulder.

“You’re very welcome,” said Zeb, and they both smiled at him.

Suddenly, another voice bursted out to life.

“Ma!” shouted Jacen from across the room. All of them turned their heads his way.

He was standing, his hands holding to Chopper. Hera smiled. He already did that, he even walked a little, but only when holding to something.

“Jacen, come to mommy,” she said, trying for the millionth time. She knew it took patience with kids, and she not always could be with him, leaving him with Zeb, or Kallus (or both of them), so she always tried whenever she could.

The wide grin appeared on his face, as she opened up her arms towards him. He took one small step, but before he could took another, he backed up, afraid to let go of Chopper.

“Okay. Chop, move. But _really_ slowly.” she emphasised.

But he seemed to get it, as he rolled only a little further, and only after Jacen took a step. Her son was careful, still holding on to Chopper, but he looked at her from time to time. She encouraged him and he kept on smiling when his eyes were landing on her, looking for her support and a confirmation that it was safe.

When they were really close, three, maybe four steps, in the safe distance, so she could reach out and catch him if needed, Hera told Chopper to stop.

“Jacey, now come to me,” she said, opening up her arms again.

Jacen looked first at her, then at Chopper, and then at her again. It reminded her of her brother, in the bittersweet way that he sometimes liked to pop into her mind.

But then he took one step. Chopper stayed where he was, as she asked him to. Jacen looked at her one more time. She smiled wider at him, the childish innocence in his eyes, the trust she saw there making her heart melt.

“Come on Jacey. I’m here to catch you.” she assured him.

And he let go of Chopper.

And then he took the first step on his own.

Hera heard Sabine gasping, but she concentrated all her will on Jacen.

“Yes, Jacey, now one more step to me,” she encouraged him, almost laughing.

With hands in front of him, hesitantly, he took one step and another, and giggling he came all the way to Hera. She picked him up, smiling, as she couldn’t contain her joy at seeing her son's first steps. She brought him closer and kissed his forehead, as he was laughing, and she was still smiling. 

“Was I the only one to actually see this?” asked Zeb, astonished, and Hera turned her head towards him, smiling.

“No, you weren’t,” answered Sabine, big grin on her face.

“Kid’s first steps. Can’t believe it.” he said.

And it was somehow unbelievable, how far they’ve come. It was something Hera reflected on later that day, before falling asleep. Jacen fell asleep quickly, after tiring day, and Hera didn’t have a heart to wake him up. Sabine offered to take the couch, as to not wake him, so that left Hera sleeping with Jacen on Ezra’s old bed

She found it ironic now. The old Ezra’s bed, where he slept for so many years. The place where she and Kanan, well, conceived Jacen. What was now Sabine’s bed, and where Hera was sleeping now, with her son safely in her arms.

She looked down at him, and couldn’t stop a small smile from appearing on her face. He was resting, his small chest rising up and down as he was breathing. She run her hand through his hair gently, not wanting to wake him up. But he didn’t make a move.

She realized that he always had the best presents for her. The first kick last year, and his first steps now. Not for the first time, regrets took over her, as she imagined Kanan with them. As she imagined Ezra.

It was a little easier now, but she doubted she could ever be fully over this. They would always take a huge part in her heart. How could they not?

She wished things were different. But she was also grateful for what she got.

With this, a little more settled, and generally happy with the day - Sabine and Zeb’s care meant a world to her, and Jacen only completed the picture - she fell asleep more consoled than she expected herself to be.

And more hopeful.


	3. 2 ABY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little time jump now, but not a long one (Jacen would be almost 3 years old here). There will be bigger ones later on. This is also one of the shortest chapters. The rest is pretty long so it might take me a longer while to update.
> 
> Hugs to everybody who left kudos, commented and read my story. I'm glad you all like it, and I hope to not make you too sad as the rest of chapters will unfold. 
> 
> This one starts to let us a little more into the future and what I think might have happened. Only glimpses in this one. Mind more tags also the relationship ones that I update with every chapter.

Hera stormed through the hallways of the base, distraught. She only got the word that Sabine and Zeb came back from their mission. It was supposed to be difficult from the mere joining forces with Sabine who currently had troubles on Lothal.

But she never thought it would be _that_ difficult.

She was so stupid to let her guards down. She should know better, after what happened to Ezra, after what happened to Kanan that she couldn’t take their safety for granted. That there always was a possibility of them not making it back to her.

She made her way to the medical, not caring about people standing in her way. She must have looked like she was mad to them, but frankly, in that moment, she really didn’t care.

She just hoped they were okay. They _had to_ be okay, she couldn’t bare another loss, she just couldn’t.

She finally made it to the medical wing, feeling like it took eternity. She was a little thrown out of her tracks to see there Alexandr with her son, but then it made a great sense. He must have been worried sick for Zeb.

“Mommy!” shouted Jacen, and Hera outstretched her hand towards him. He run to her and took her hand, then immediately clinged to her leg. She let her hand travel through his hair in a comforting gesture.

Kallus didn’t lose time for any official greetings, and Hera couldn’t blame him.

“Hera, do you know anything?” she shook her head.

“Only that they’re injured and nothing more. Have you gone in there, yet?” this time he shook his head.

“They didn’t let me,”

“That’s good, because then I would have to tell you off for bringing Jacen here,” she said, in a friendly teasing manner. Kallus seemed to get it only after a moment.

“I wouldn’t let him in,” he said.

“I hope so.” said Hera, and was already kneeling in front of Jacen, as she felt him tugging at her trousers.

“Hi honey,” she started, getting to his eye-level, ruffling his hair. He was smiling sheepishly at her, not letting go of the material of her pants. “How you were doing with uncle Alex?” she asked. He looked at her fully, this time with mischief in his eyes. He glanced at Kallus, and then looked back at her.

“Nice! But not as good as with you, mom.” he said honestly, and she almost burst out laughing. She couldn’t help chuckling, whatsoever, finding it to be relieving with all the tension. Kallus only rolled his eyes, but he was smirking. Everybody knew that no one could beat Hera for Jacen.

“And what you were doing?” she asked further, as she picked him up and sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room, with Jacen on her lap.

“We went watching ships in the sky!” Hera smiled.

“Oh yeah?” she asked.

“Yeah! But with you I could fly!” he added, directed at Hera, gaining her smirk in return. She was thrilled to see him starting to love flying as much as she did, but she hoped he could enjoy it without the war around them. It was too dangerous for pilots up there during war. But well, at least it was less dangerous than being a Jedi.

“And we were also doing lot of other things, right Jacen?” asked Kallus, with a little bit of hidden motive behind it, Hera could tell. Jacen brightened up.

“Yeah, we went looking for flowers!” Hera saw Kallus facepalming, and couldn’t stop another chuckle.

“Flowers? Here? Must have been difficult.” she said. She was used to it by now, but Hoth was extremely cold, and her and Jacen shared the trait of higher body-temperature than humans. It would be easier for him, if he took that one after Kanan, but Jacen was a genetic mash-up, so even though he looked more like a human on the first sight, he shared a lot of Twi’lek’s traits, but the ones not so obvious that could be noticed after spending some more time with him.

Hera didn’t even have time to think about why the hell they wanted to find flowers, because that was the moment the doors opened, revealing a medical droid standing in them.

“You can come in now,” he said and disappeared inside the room.

“Kallus!” she called to him, before he could walk in.

“Could you wait here with Jacen? I just want to see how bad it is, before I let Jacen in.” he nodded, though she could see how much he wanted to rush to Zeb’s side. She smiled gratefully.

“Thank you,” she said, as she placed Jacen in his arms.

She braced herself. It couldn’t be that bad if they were allowed to come in, right?

 _They’re okay, they’re not dead, and that’s what matters,_ she repeated in her head, like it had a magic power and was able to change things, if anything was wrong.

But when she did came in, she almost gasped from terror.

There were only two beds in the room, one for Zeb, and one for Sabine. Hera’s heart ached seeing them like that.

Sabine had her whole left leg immobilized, along with several bruises and cuts up on her collarbone and face. She smiled weakly at her.

“Sabine,” she whispered, as she rushed to her side. Carefully, she sat on her bed, and took her hand in hers. “Force, Sabine how are you doing? How did this all happened?” She looked from her to Zeb who was in much better state than the Mandalorian, sitting on the bed next to them. She reached out with her hand towards him as well, and smiling he took it gently.

“There was just too many of them,” said Sabine, voice hoarse and Hera felt a sharp tug at her heart, hearing and seeing Sabine in such a state.

“We couldn’t do anything. We fought, but we lost too many. We barely survived along few others.” added Zeb. He looked fine, beside the bandage around his head. Hera shook her head.

“There was nothing you could do. Next time we’re going in with better intel.” she assured them, and seeing her with her usual hard determination was what they both really needed. Hera was like a rock to them. No matter what, she was there for them to support them. No matter what, she stood still and was their home.

“How are you two feeling?” she asked. Zeb grinned.

“I only had a concussion. But it’s alright, nothing damaged as says our _friend_ here.” said Zeb, gesturing at the medical droid with a grin. Hera rolled her eyes at _only_ , but smiled nevertheless. Yeah, Zeb seemed to look alright, and she trusted the medical droid, if he said the concussion didn’t do any damage. It was Sabine who looked far worse, and for whom she was worried more.

“And you?” she asked. Sabine sighted slightly.

“Well, a broken leg, in at least two places. Broken rib, fortunately only one, and well you see the bruises and cuts. All my left side suffered. But like with Zeb, no internal organs damage.” she said. Hera looked at her, horrified and relieved at once.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” she whispered softly. Sabine smiled at her, and so did Zeb.

“We’re alright, Hera. And we will.” he assured her. His smile reminded her of someone else waiting for him outside the room. She turned to the droid who was occupied with some vials by the machine in the far corner of the room.

“Could you please tell the waiting room that they can come in now?” she asked. The droid looked at her, burning his gaze actually, and she was sure that, if he could, he would roll his eyes.

“I already have done that,” he mumbled, but did as she asked. Hera suspected now why Zeb’s grin was so wide when he mentioned the droid. Zeb just loved to engage in heated debates (and more, but Hera hoped it wasn’t an issue right now, she had enough of explanations to do before the Rebel Command as it was) with everyone who had some attitude, especially droids. That’s why it was always so hard to get him and Chopper to cooperate.

Hera watched the light in Zeb’s eyes, as Kallus entered the room, and looked away to give them some more privacy. She couldn’t stop a small smile from appearing on her face, though. Who would ever suspect it all would evolve in such a way?

As if to confirm her thinking, Jacen run to her again that day. He started jumping in place, hands outstretched, and Hera leaned down and picked him up.

“Hi, Jacey,” said Sabine. Jacen looked at her, and Hera could read worry from her son’s features.

“Are you okay?” he asked, and for a moment Hera was afraid that maybe she made a mistake by bringing him in there. She saw tears forming in Jacen’s eyes, and it was the last thing she wanted to achieve.

“Hey, Jacen, I’m okay. Look.” assured him Sabine and took his hand into hers and took it for him to touch her cheek. “See?” she said, smiling, and Jacen chuckled.

“Okay, I believe you. But you have a really hot skin!” he exclaimed.

“Am I now?” Sabine asked, chuckling. Worried, Hera reached with her hand and touched Sabine’s forehead.

“Yes, you really are,” she confirmed. “You should rest, Bine, we’ll better --”

“No, Hera, stay a little. I’m not that tired and I see you so rarely. Stay.” she said, and Hera couldn’t help smiling at her.

It was true, they didn’t see each other often now, and Hera constantly missed her. And Jacen loved when Sabine was around. It would do them all good to be in each other’s company for a while.

“Okay, but the second you feel sleepy, we let you rest,” she said warningly. Sabine smiled at her.

“Yes, ma’am,” she answered and saluted her jokingly.

And then, they fell into a familiar pattern of conversation, catching up with everything that was happening in their lives now. It quickly turned though, into Jacen snuggling into his favorite sister and telling her stories about the base that Hera was surprised to have never heard before. She guessed people were less careful with child listening, assuming he didn’t understand. She would have to bring the subject up on the next meeting.

“And then Luke asked Princess to go out with him, and she just looked at him and around, like she was mocking the whole room and asked _where_ \--” Sabine started laughing, and Hera also couldn’t help her own chuckle. “ -- And I was very sorry for Luke, but he should know better that Princess likes Han.” he said, and Hera raised her eyebrow at him.

“And how do you know that, honey? Everyone keeps bets around the base.” she said.

“But you seem to know everything,” added in Sabine. Jacen grinned at her.

“It’s kinda obvious? She just feels … brighter around him.” he said. Oh yeah, Hera should have guessed it was a Force thing.

“And that’s all? Kid, she may just like him.” threw in Zeb from his bed, where Kallus was sitting next to him, very subtly holding his hand.

“No! I mean it’s a special glow. She is brighter with more people that she just likes, but with Han she is really, really bright!” Jacen tried to explain, and not for the first time from when she found out she was having him, Hera wished for Kanan, or Ezra to be with them. They could understand Jacen on the level she never could, even if she tried. Which obviously didn’t stop her from trying to do everything in her power to not only understand it, but also to help him with it. He already understood that he shouldn’t show his powers to anyone beside family. She was hoping she could teach him one day how to meditate, knowing that this would make a lot of things easier for him. But firstly, she would have to learn it herself, and she didn’t have time, right now. And Jacen still was a bit too young for it. Still, she was hoping to get to it one day.

“Well, Jacen, you can definitely now win a lot of credits for mommy, if it turns out to be true,” Hera said, smirking at him. He reciprocated, but with a wicked spark to it.

“No, mommy that would be my credits since I knew it first,” he said, and everyone started laughing. Hera rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop a grin of her own. He was smooth-tongued and clever, and she knew who she could blame for that.

“Remember how I told you what you have after your dad?” she asked, and suddenly the room was silent, but Jacen was smiling at her, listening eagerly, and nodding.

“Everything!” he said, and she laughed.

“Well, not exactly everything. This cute little teeth you have after me, as well as the tips of your ears and the color of hair. But yeah, generally.” she answered, pointing along the way to emphasize her words, and making Jacen giggle as she gently touched him in the places she was listing. “But you know, that thing you have also after dad.” she continued.

“What thing?” asked Jacen.

“The one you’ve just told me,” she answered, trying to make him go back into his head to the previous lines in their conversation.

“Daddy, wanted credits too?” he asked, and this time everyone in the room laughed, alongside with Hera.

“No, honey. He was just as clever as you are.” she said, smiling, as she tried to suppress her laugh. He seemed to take in the information, first with a smile and then with a deep consideration.

“You’re clever too, mom!” he said, and she smiled.

“Oh yeah, so that makes you double clever, huh?” she asked. He considered it for a moment.

“Actually, yes,” he said, and Sabine chuckled, alongside with Zeb and  Kallus exchanging smirks.

“Jacen, aren’t you forgetting about something?” asked, surprisingly, Kallus what seemed like out of nowhere. Hera looked from him to her son, puzzled. What they were up to when she was gone?

“Remember what we were doing for your mom?” he asked further, and now all of them were looking at Kallus, confused.

Jacen was, fortunately the first one to get it.

“Yes!” he exclaimed and reached down to his backpack that he kept with himself most of the time. He had a phase for it now and was going with it everywhere, even when it wasn’t really necessary.

After a moment he pulled out a datapad that Hera never before saw in her life, and she was just about to ask what it meant, when Jacen clicked a few things and handed it to her.

“That’s for you mommy. Because uncle said it’s mom’s day, and you’re my mom and I wanted to give you something, so you know that I love you.” he said, and Hera was speechless. She wasn’t expecting anything, and as always she forgot there even was a celebration like that.

She took the datapad, and smiled when she saw her son’s attempts at drawing. There she was with him, as they were holding hands, smiling, all more of the lines than real shapes, but she had to admit she at least she had her lekku on her head and two hands, along with two legs. All in various shades of green.

“See, I made it in green, because you are green, and I have green hair. We are green!” he explained her, and Hera didn’t know now much beside that her face hurt from smiling and her vision was a little blurred.

“Kid, you have a talent, I must say,” she heard Sabine saying.

Hera looked at her son, blinking a few times, so she could see him better. She outstretched her arms, and Jacen moved on the bed and happily jumped to her. She silently laughed, as she was holding him tight.

“I love you too, Jacey, never doubt that,” she said to him quietly. She felt him smiling into her collarbone, and squeezing her tighter.

“You’re not gonna let me go now, huh?” she asked, and felt him shaking his head. She laughed heartily, and silently stroked his hair.

She made eye-contact with Sabine, and to her surprise she looked sad.

“I’m sorry that we didn’t make anything for you, Hera,” the girl said.

“Yeah, we were hoping we would be back sooner, but we can see now how it turned out,” said Zeb.

Hera looked at them, disbelieving.

“You seriously worry about that now?” she asked, rather rhetorically. She let go of Jacen, and leaned over Sabine, delicately as not to hurt her left side, and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Then, she stood up and went to Zeb, pulling him close. He wrapped his arm around her, the other one linked with Alexandr.

She let go after a moment, and standing in between them, said:

“The best gift is for me that you’re alive. That you made it back home. And don’t worry about anything else.”

In response she received two big grins, and it indeed, was the best gift they could have possibly given her.

She went over to sit on Sabine’s bed, and Jacen was right at her side again.

“And of course, your drawing is lovely, dear,” she said to him, as she realized, he might have felt a little left out. She got another great gift when he snuggled to her.

They talked for a long time, before Sabine really started to be tired, and though she wouldn’t admit to it, Hera could see it, and didn’t want to disturb her recovery further. Zeb and Sabine promised to make a huge dinner for all of them when they will get better, and before Sabine will come back to Lothal. Hera couldn’t wish for a better time with them, especially in current situation, and she was glad they wanted to make their time for that.

And though, she was really anxious and fearful just a few hours ago, heading for her usual pilot’s training, she was just simply happy. A drawing from Jacen that Alexandr promised to get safely to the _Ghost_ before something could happen, Jacen’s arms around her, and two big, happy grins from Zeb and Sabine reminded her that she was not alone. And even though it was a hell of a job to keep them all safe, take care of them, train pilots, and kick Empire’s ass, this day reminded her that she could do it. And she had wonderful people caring for her.

For what she was fighting for, if not exactly for them?


	4. 6 ABY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of the longest ones, with the next one the longest from them all (also I think it's my personal favorite, and I worked on it the hardest tbh). It's heavy on Kanera feelings, probably the most from all of them. It also shows us a little more of Space Family future, at least one of the possibilities for them that I could see. Just my imagination though, but I hope you're gonna like it! Again, it's probably too hopeful and optimistic, even though Kanan's death left huge scars on all of them, especially Hera and Ezra, and I wanted to aknowledge that. Still, a lot of fluff, though. 
> 
> Many thanks to all of you who is keeping up with this story, comments and likes it. You all are the best <3

Hera was actually thrilled to see them all together. 

They, of course, announced themselves before they arrived, and it wasn’t like it was the first time they all were seeing each other after Sabine came back with Ezra. They obviously, all met when they came back, a few times after, and then at the big celebration - Zeb and Alexandr’s wedding.

But the thing that they did that for her, was extremely touching.

They currently were on Lothal where Hera was spending a lot of time, recently. She didn’t want to admit to it yet, and it was something only Chopper knew about, but she was doing a ground research. The Empire was gone, and as much as she was doing some lesser jobs for the Rebellion after the Battle of Endor, she stopped when she realized how burnt out she felt. They won, and she still wanted to help people, but there was plenty of soldiers who could do simple supply runs, especially now that there were only remnants of the Empire and there was no real fight. Others could handle it. 

But not everyone could take on training youth like she used to do. This time, however, she wanted to do more. She wanted to take in kids that had dreams of flying, but never really could fulfil them under Empire’s lash. Sometimes she wanted to fly and do nothing more, just feel the sky and stars, but she had to think about Jacen. She could try to combine all the things - raising Jacen, helping people, and flying, in the simpler way than before. 

And maybe she could even convince Ezra and Sabine to help her. It was up to them of course, but she had a few ideas, and maybe they would like them. She even had a spot for Zeb in mind, but she wasn’t sure, if he would be up for leaving his husband. She would have to think about it and most importantly ask him. This way they all could be closer. 

For now, she wanted to simply enjoy that they all were together. And even though, they celebrated on  _ Ghost _ , it never felt closer to home. Maybe, especially because of that.  


The best thing they gave her this year was not only their presence, but also the big dinner they all made. She was grateful, cause when she was alone with Jacen she was obviously the one who had to deal with cooking, and her feelings towards it didn’t change through the years. She still loved to eat food, but hated preparing it.

But there were topics brought up around the table, as they were eating that she knew somehow were unavoidable, but that were hard to explain. She couldn’t blame Jacen for asking questions, since he was a very curious child, and additionally, in the age when he wanted to know everything. 

It started when Zeb was telling one of his really old stories where he was mentioning his parents. He rarely did that, why, Hera never asked, but she supposed he had his reasons, the same way she almost never mentioned her brother and her mother.

“You mean mommy and daddy?” asked Jacen, when Zeb got to the part of the story where his parents had an important role in. Sabine looked amused at them, as Zeb and Kallus chuckled in almost the same manner. Hera only shook her head, smiling. It would be difficult to understand for a kid, she guessed, but she wasn’t prepared for that conversation. She will have to explain it on the fly.

“No, kid, I mean my birth-parents,” corrected Zeb.

“What do you mean? We all have the same parents! You and Ezra are my brothers, and Bine is my sister!” protested Jacen.

“Yes, little luv, but I didn’t give birth to them,” threw in Hera. 

“I don’t get it. You are my mom, and you’re their mom, so you’re mom to all of us!” 

“Jacen, look, I’ll try to explain this to you,” said Ezra, and now all the kid’s attention was on him. 

“You ever saw a clowder of loth-cats?” he asked. Jacen nodded eagerly. “And you know how cat-mom has her own kitties born, right?” 

“Yes,” answered Jacen.

“But her clowder is bigger than just her born-kitties, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah, usually the abandoned kitties that had nowhere to go, are with her, if she wants to adopt them. They all follow her, and they have the same connections to her, as the born-kitties.” affirmed Jacen. Ezra nodded.

“Exactly. And that’s how it is with us. Me, Sabine and Zeb were all abandoned kitties that no one else wanted. But your mom took us in and cared for us, as if we were her own. And we did followed her and have connections to her the same way you do. And you are her born-kitty.” answered Ezra. Hera wanted to throw something at him for making her feel so many things. She knew they loved her, and were grateful for what she gave them, but to hear it, was very touching. 

“I get it now! So we are loth-kitties!” said Jacen, enthusiastically, and they all started laughing. 

Then Zeb continued on with the story, and they all shared a few more of them - including Alexandr’s weird Imperial story which was definitely not something Jacen should listen to, so Hera stopped him before he could go any further. They could talk more when Jacen would go to sleep. It only raised more questions from the kid.

“Mom, can I ask you something?” he asked. Hera didn’t think that it was going in a good direction.

“About what?” she asked in return. 

“Why I was born?” 

Hera was at loss of words. 

What was she supposed to tell him?  _ You were the only thing I had after Kanan? Mommy and daddy had one last night with each other and then your father died? Your mommy was horny and your dad wanted to get laid? _

Okay, the last one was an exaggeration, but it still was true in some way, even if it wasn’t the whole truth. Kanan missed her, she missed him, and only because he reminded her of it, did they found those few stolen moments with each other, before everything changed forever. It was ironic. 

But there was one thing that was always true, and always will be. 

“You were born, because me and your dad loved each other,” she said, and damn, it was hard to say even that, though, so many years passed. It wasn’t making it any easier that there was all of her family around her. 

“That’s enough reason?” he asked. Hera sighed. She had no idea how to explain all of this to him, all that she and Kanan were. Kanan was better with these things than she was. 

“You see, when people love each other, they want to be with each other. And sometimes they decide … And sometimes they want to see their love … Ugh, they want --” she stumbled over her words, but Ezra cut in, seeing her struggling with finding right words.  


“It is enough of the reason, Jacen. Children are born when two people love each other.” said Ezra, trying to help her. She send him a quick, thankful smile.

“Then, why there are abandoned kitties like you and Bine?” he asked further. 

“Because sometimes bad things are happening, things we can’t control, and parents have to go away, even when we don’t want them to. Kanan … Your father isn’t here, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have loved you. I’m pretty sure he would, and I know that if there is some part … I believe that he loves you.” said Ezra. 

Okay, this was definitely not what Hera thought would happen tonight. But Ezra was right. She was sure of that as well. This was one of the regrets she’s gonna carry with her forever. Kanan would be an exceptional father to Jacen. 

“So that’s why other good moms adopt the abandoned kitties, and they all make a one big family?” asked her youngling. Ezra and Hera breathed out with relief. 

“Yeah, kid. You’re clever.” confirmed Ezra. Jacen smiled. 

“Mom tells me it’s after daddy,” he said, with a big grin on his face. Ezra grinned. 

“Not only,” he said. Sabine chuckled. 

“Yeah, you’re clever after mom too, kid.” she said to Jacen. 

“I actually meant me, but yeah after mom too.” said Ezra to that, receiving chuckles and rolling of eyes from the rest. 

The stories and more questions (though not as much problematic) were going around, as they were eating dessert, and after that Hera watched, moved and happy, as Ezra and Sabine were playing with Jacen on the floor. The picture was almost idyllic, all of her kids happy and together. She looked from them to Kallus and Zeb who were engaged in more of a private conversation, teasing each other. She smiled. She was happy for their happiness. And when she catched in the corner of her eye that Chopper was silently creeping in, taking pictures of them, she didn’t stop him. It would be nice to have those memories safed, in some way, forever.

She was brought back from her thoughts when Sabine called out to her. She turned to her, about to ask what was it about, but one look at them and she didn’t need to. 

Jacen was spread all over Ezra’s lap, making a pillow out of it, apparently sleeping. 

“Oh, honey,” she said quietly, smiling, as she stood up and walked over to them. She kneeled beside them.

“He just fell asleep. One minute he was everywhere, running and laughing, and then he just laid down and stayed like that. I thought he was just tired and would get up, but he fell asleep.” explained Ezra. She wasn’t surprised by this, Jacen did that when he was really tired, but it was no wonder it was weird to Ezra who probably interacted with children this small for the first time, since a very long time. 

“Okay, I’ll take him to bed. I’ll be right back.” she said, and she took Jacen from Ezra. Her son immediately clinged to her, and she run her hand through his hair gently. She kissed his temple, as she felt him shifting, more awake now. 

“Come on, we’re going to bed, love.” she whispered, and walked towards the crew cabins. 

Sabine and Ezra watched her as she walked away. 

“She loves him very much,” said Ezra, not knowing why he sounded so surprised. He knew of course that Hera loved all of them. He guessed he just never saw her showing it so openly, maybe beside Kanan. But even him not  _ that _ much. He could only guess, but he suspected this was how Kanan’s death affected her. 

Hera opened Kanan’s old cabin with one hand, upholding Jacen with the other. 

“Mom?” he asked, as she walked inside. 

“Yes, Jacen?” 

“I’m very sleepy,” he mumbled into her shirt. 

“I know, little love, I know. You’re gonna sleep soon.” she said, as she laid him down on the bottom bunk. Jacen had his eyes already closed, though he didn’t fall asleep yet. 

She took a blanket and covered him, making sure he was comfortable. She was about to leave, but something stopped her.

“Jacen?”she called out quietly.  


“Hmh?”he mumbled.  


“I love you. And wherever in the afterlife your dad is, he loves you too, you know?” she said. 

“I know mom. I can feel it.”

“You … you can?” 

“Yeah. Dad loves you too, you know?” he answered. Hera really had enough of those heart aches for today. But damn it, if Jacen could feel it, maybe he could feel Kanan, maybe he could … 

“I love him too,” she said out loud. Jacen smiled. 

“That’s why I am here, right?” he asked, opening up one eye, and Hera laughed through her pain that she could feel raising in her chest, and that thankfully was gone when she had done that. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, ruffling his hair. 

“Yes, honey. But now go to sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.” she said. 

“Promise?” he asked, yawning. She smiled. 

“Promise.” she said, kissed him once more, and got up from the bed. 

She looked at him once more, and smiled, before exiting the room. 

She was tired, but not as much as to head to bed, yet. She still had guests after all, and she wanted to spend time with them, especially with Zeb and Kallus, cause she knew they won’t stay for long. That was, why she went back to the common room. 

“Kid gave you a ride today, huh?” asked Zeb as she walked in, noticing that Ezra and Sabine were sitting back in the booth. Hera rolled her eyes, smirking. 

“Yeah, well, he took me by surprise.” she said. They soon found another topics, as they really had a lot to tell each other when they were not living on the same ship anymore.

Hera didn’t remember laughing this much in a long time. Zeb brought one of the best Corellian Whiskey’s and though she would protest a year ago, now she drank with them happily, enjoying her time with family. She might have had some opinions on Sabine and Ezra drinking, but that was only because she was used to them being kids. When she corrected herself, remembering how much time really passed and how old they were, she of course couldn’t have anything against it. She wondered where all those years went. She almost felt like she missed something, like at least two or three years were taken away from her.  _ Time flies fast _ , she thought. 

And others seemed to think similarly to her. 

“Man, how many years I have spent on that ship. It feels like just yesterday you and Kanan took me in,” said Zeb in particular to her. She smiled. 

“It seems even further ago when I took Kanan in. Kriff, that was almost sixteen years ago.” responded Hera, just realizing this. She was eighteen then. Much more naive, and much more untouched by the world. So determined, beside her age. In the end she got what she wanted. She would just never have thought that it would cost her this much. 

Zeb smirked at her. 

“Would you think the day you met him that you two would end up having a kid?” he asked her, teasingly. She looked at him, mockingly, catching in the corner of her eye, how Sabine and Ezra were leaned towards them, listening to every word. Well, she couldn’t blame them. They knew almost nothing of how Kanan was before they met him. 

“Yes Zeb, I looked at the man who just took half of the street gang down, probably being drunk, who couldn’t get a word out of himself at the dark street of Gorse and thought that he will be the father of my child.” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Sabine was smirking, and Ezra even chuckled. Hera smirked, shaking her head. “If you would tell that to 18 years old me, I would laugh in your face.” she added, taking a sip of her drink. Ezra opened his eyes wide at hearing that.

“You were eighteen?” he asked. Hera nodded, smirking. 

“You knew each other for so long!” Ezra said. “I mean, it was somehow obvious, but I didn’t think it was  _ that _ long.” he added. Hera shrugged her arms. 

“Yeah, well, we really knew each other,” she said, not knowing what else to say. Ezra was still looking at her, amazed. He must have loved to hear about Kanan. Hera knew he still missed him. That’s why she wasn’t surprised when she heard his another question.

“Half of the street gang?” asked Ezra, curiously. Hera smirked. 

“I took care of the other half,” she said. Sabine bursted out laughing at that. 

“And that’s how you two met?” asked Ezra further. 

“Well, before that I asked him where is the entrance to the company I was looking for. He just stood there, said only:  _ Huh _ , and so I decided to find it myself. He said later that it was because he was so dumbstruck with me. Well, he followed me later so I’ll give that to him.” she said, remembering the good times. Honestly, thinking about it now, it was hilarious. 

“And then you took care of that gang?” she nodded. “Why?” she couldn’t stop smiling. Ezra was just sometimes too much like Kanan. 

“I had a deal with them. They wanted more credits than at the beginning, so we had a little argument. Then Kanan showed up. He had some previous business with them as well. And well, then we beat the shit out of them.” Hera said to the amusement of kids. 

Then, before Ezra could stop himself he asked her what was probably one of the questions, she also often asked herself at one time:

“How you two ended up together?” Hera shook her head. 

“I don’t know Ezra. It … It just happened.”

“But how did you know it was  _ it _ ? _ ” _

She wondered for a moment. How did she know?

“I just did. At one point I just realized that he is important to me, more than I thought at the beginning. Important enough for this to happen. Why you’re asking?” she asked. Ezra shrugged. 

“I’m just curious,” 

“Ezra is in looove,” said Sabine, mockingly. Hera rolled her eyes. They might have been older in papers, but they still were behaving like kids. 

“I’m not!” protested Ezra with a blush on his cheeks. 

“Who is that kid?” asked Zeb, teasingly. 

“No one! Can’t I just ask?” he responded. Hera saw Sabine opening up her mouth, but she stopped her further teasing.

“Enough, kids. If Ezra will want he will tell us. Give him a break.” Hera said. She could feel Ezra becoming less tense at her side. 

So that they didn’t think her and Ezra are the only one to be asked private questions and teased, she smirked wickedly, and turned her head towards Zeb and Kallus. 

“And Zeb, did you ever think you would end up married to Imperial Agent from ISB Alexandr Kallus?” she asked. Zeb groaned, and Alexandr’s face became all red.

“I thought we were supposed to not talk about my past in Empire?” said Kallus. Hera smirked. 

“You started it yourself with that weird story of yours. And that’s only fair, if you’re asking me about my past with Kanan. ” she said, teasingly. 

“I don’t think so,” mumbled Kallus, and Hera chuckled. They were sometimes still very shy with their feelings. She thought it was sweet. 

“Yes Hera, I looked at the guy who wanted to kill me and who was connected with exterminating my people, who was my private nemesis for almost two years and was with the Empire, and thought:  _ Yeah I’ll marry this one _ .” he answered in the same manner as she did before. Everyone was laughing, including Hera. 

There was a moment of silence when the laughs ended. It was Sabine who broke it. 

“My parents met because of war too. Me and Ketsu, the same way, more or less. And you two as well.” she said turning her head to Zeb and Kallus. “And you and Kanan of course.” she continued, turning to Hera this time. “It’s just that if not for the war we all wouldn’t even meet.” Sabine continued. Hera nodded, as everyone was lost in consideration of what their lives would look like.

“The thing is that we all were born into war as well,” said Hera. Ezra smiled bitterly. 

“Yeah, even along with the war beginning,” he said. That statement especially referred to him, but also to Jacen.

“Actually we had a civil war on Lasan as well when I was born. I wasn’t big enough to remember much, but you’re right,” said Zeb. Sabine nodded. 

“Mandalore was always in the state of war. And then there was Empire of course.” she said. 

Hera was lost in her thoughts for a while. The only thing she ever remembered was war. Sometimes she could still hear Thrawn’s voice saying that she was forged by it. Because even if he had made mistakes, and not always was as clever as he thought he was, he was right then. She  _ was _ forged by it. And so was Sabine and Ezra. Zeb and Kallus in another way, but still just as much life-changing. And Kanan had been too. The war for him started when his Master was killed before his eyes, when he had to run from the ones he called friends, just a few hours before. They all were thrown into the war to quickly for their age. Then, whoever could decide what age was enough? Children should never be thrown into war, but adults shouldn’t start them. 

For a long time she was blaming herself for what she did to Jacen. That’s why she never wanted to have children during war. But well, what happened, happened and she had to live with that, trying to protect Jacen as much as she could from being affected by war. 

She only hoped it was enough. Because there was one good thing coming from this all. They all learned how to fight for their rights, and how to help people. That they should stand for people when they couldn’t do it themselves. That when things were wrong, they should do everything they could, to fix them. That if it’s necessary, they should rebel.

She smiled at Ezra, when he spoke up, probably coming with the same line of reasoning:

“At least we learned something from that. To stand up for the weaker, to help others.” The rest of her family also smiled at that. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Sabine, and well, if she was agreeing on something with Ezra so openly, it had to have a greater meaning. 

“To fight for the good cause,” murmured Zeb. 

“To revolt. To rebel.” added Kallus with a small smile on his lips. Hera was glad to see them all being able to set eyes also on the good sides. If there was one thing she always wanted them all to learn, it was to never lose hope. 

“One way or another, we all are the children of a revolution,” concluded Ezra. And Hera couldn’t agree with him more. 

After that, they talked a little more, but they started to be tired very soon. It was already late after all. The first to say goodnight was Zeb and Kallus as they retreated to Zeb’s old room. Sabine went to bed not long after them. Hera and Ezra cleaned after the dinner, and she left him to some less straining chores, and excused herself with a need for a shower. 

When she came back to the galley, everything was cleaned up. She smiled to herself. Ezra was really a sweetheart. He, himself, had to be tired as hell. 

She decided to make herself a a cup of hot cocoa before heading to bed. She didn’t have a lot of time for doing something for herself, so it felt like a heaven to finally have some of that. 

Not even fully conscious of it, she walked towards the cargo hold. She used to do that with Kanan when they were young - sitting on the ramp, sipping hot cocoa and staring at the stars, talking. 

She was surprised when she saw that the ramp was already occupied. It even gave her a weird sense of deja vu before she realized it was Ezra. But the way he was wearing his hair now, the same way Kanan did, was mostly what made the old memories strike back. 

She shook herself out of her thoughts and came closer, sitting by his side. He looked at her a little surprised, but mostly happy, smiling. He waved his cup at her. 

“The same, huh?” he asked. She nodded. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, before she decide to break it. 

“Thank you Ezra,” she said, smiling gratefully. When he looked at her, confused, she clarified: “For explaining everything to Jacen,” He smiled when he got it.

“Of course, Hera. It’s not like I said anything that wasn’t true. I only found the right words.” he said. She nodded, smiling, because he was right. 

They sat next to each other, drinking their hot cocoa, when Hera felt a need to say something, something she thought about for a long time while Ezra was gone. 

“I missed you Ezra. And I’m glad you’re home.” she said. Ezra smiled at her. 

And then he flunged himself at her. Surprised, but really happy, she closed her arms around him. He snuggled into her neck, like he was really a loth-kitten, and Hera chuckled at the comparison. She held him tight, enjoying that he was finally with them, finally with his family. 

He let go after a moment, but kept his arm linked with hers. It was a manner that really reminded her of Kanan, needing to maintain physical contact, but not intruding of her own space. 

“Jacen is amazing,” he said after a while. Hera smiled. 

“Yeah,” she confirmed. “But it doesn’t mean you mean any less to me.” she said, smile on her face, and Ezra was easy to reciprocate. 

“I know, Hera,” he said. 

The silence fell once more, but this time it was more heavy. In a way, Hera knew what Ezra wanted to say, before he did.

“I just wish Kanan was with us,” he said. Hera smiled sadly. 

“Me too. From the day he was gone. And every day more since I knew I was pregnant.” she said. Ezra tried to smile reassuringly. 

“I meant it though. He would really love him. And he would be a great father.” he said. A dull shot of pain went straight through Hera’s heart. She knew it, she even thought about it today. But having it said out loud, by Ezra, who could call himself more a son of Kanan, then Jacen will ever be able to, hurt. 

And here she thought the pain gone away. But she knew it didn’t. Now, she even had more time than before, to think about him. And the crazy thing was that maybe it was easier to breathe now. Maybe the pain wasn’t now her constant companion, but the occasional visitor. 

But it didn’t change a fact that she still loved him. And she missed him terribly. She was still grieving after him, though maybe not as intensely as she did before, but she was convinced that she will hold him in her heart forever. She’s gonna love him till she will die, and there was not much she could do about it. She could only make sure of cherishing the good memories, and trying not to dwell too much on painful ones. She wanted to remember him, but she wanted to remember him happy. It will always be with a little bit of bitterness, because that was unavoidable, with the tragic death he had, and how it left the people that loved him with scars. But it never should outweigh the good, happy things, and that was what she was going to take care of. 

“I’m just glad he had that chance with you,” she said, voice a little more hoarse than she would want it to. “But you’re right.” she added. 

“Doesn’t mean you aren’t great. Hera, what you are doing is amazing, and I can’t help but admire you for that.” she shook her head smiling. “No, Hera, really. You should appreciate yourself more. What you’re doing is amazing. Not everybody could be as strong as you are.” he said. 

Hera missed it. She missed someone to remind her of that. Because it was damn hard, not that she would admit to that out loud. But seeing her effort having effects in Jacen and in Ezra, as well as in Sabine and Zeb, was worth it. 

It was the feeling of that comfortableness that she couldn’t share with someone for a while now, when kids were mostly gone that made her talk out the ideas she had, and which she considered making a reality.

“You know I was thinking of starting my own flight academy,” Ezra had eyes wide opened from surprise, but he smiled at her. 

“Really?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” she answered, smirking. “I was having this thought for a while now. I just … I don’t know. I can’t keep still. I want to use my talents to help people like I did with Rebellion. And there are so many talented kids out there who just won’t enroll because Empire never let them in the first place, and now they’re just discouraged. That happened to me, just because I’m different species. I think, I can help to change that, especially now, when war is practically over.” she said, and damn, how good it was to let her thoughts out and organize them like that. 

“Hera, that’s a wonderful idea! I totally love it!” he said, enthusiasm on his features, and Hera smiled at him. 

“Where you think you would start it?” he asked. 

“I’m thinking of here, of Lothal. The weather condition is even quite good for the training, and we would have to go to other systems anyway, to practice jumps, hyperspace piloting, management of ship. So we could go even to Shantipole.” Ezra laughed.

“You won’t be going easy on anyone,” he said, more stating the fact than asking a question. Hera chuckled. 

“Well, you should know better, since I also taught you. Which reminds me - I would have a proposition for you and Sabine. I don’t know if it’s even gonna work out, but if it will and you would want to help me, then I might have something for you.” she said. Ezra smiled. 

“Count me in. I can’t say for Sabine, but I think she would be up for it.” he said. Hera reciprocated the smile. 

“I’ll be informing you then.” she said. 

They stayed like that for half a night. Just sitting on the ramp, drinking, and telling each other stories. They parted hugging, Hera kissing his temple, saying goodnight to each other. And even though Hera wasn’t very rested the next day, it was worth it. She had a lot of catching up with Ezra. 

And besides, she couldn’t feel happier. She had her family back. Zeb and Kallus were staying for a few days, and Ezra and Sabine didn’t even think about leaving for now.

So when everybody met at the breakfast that in the old tradition Zeb and Ezra made, she really couldn’t be grateful enough for what she had. She laughed over their bickering that she missed so much, as Kallus tried to help them, but was shut down quickly, and watched how Sabine was playing with Jacen. 

And she realized that - maybe not for the first time - but since Kanan died, she thought of him in the moment spend with their family and she wasn’t sad, just like the night before. 

Kanan was still with them, in their hearts and in their minds, and life was going on. 

She was reminded of it when Ezra yelled at Zeb for not giving enough butter and burning the first pancake, as well as with Jacen’s laugh when Sabine spinned him around. Chopper was grumbling something in the background that really sounded like evil laughing, and she suspected it was him who caused Zeb to not give enough butter on the pan. And she could almost hear Kallus facepalming. 

Yeah, she was a single cat-mom raising her kitties, both adopted and born. And she was happy that she had them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed them to find Ezra as soon as they could. Maybe it's a bit unrealistic, but I can't stand a thought of Ezra not being with his fam as soon as he can. Hence, in my head they found him in 1 year, maybe max 2 years. I just needed Ezra to be happy <3
> 
> Oh, and the next one will be up in a few days, I don't know how long exactly, but I'l try to update as soon as possible!


	5. 16 ABY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 7,000 words here, the longest one, as I warned you. This would be good to split, but it kinda flows naturally, at least I hope it does. Hope it will be enjoyable to read as well! 
> 
> Here is a little more explained from the ideas seeded in the previous chapter! A more of a whole picture, of the life that maybe is a possibility for the Ghost crew in a span of those years. It's also a big jump in time, but I wanted to write teenage Jacen, and chose this time period, because I thought it was an interesting age, both for Hera and for Jacen, and also the rest of the kids. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you're gonna enjoy it! The last chapter is not that long so I hopefully get it up very, very soon!

“Mrs Syndulla?” Hera heard calling, and though she was facing the holo-board, writing down one of the most basic mathematical formulas, for the youngest class, she recognized the voice.

She turned to its owner, 9-years old Twi’lek girl. She was raising her hand, almost jumping in her seat. Hera smiled at her. The girl was one of the most clever ones, with a sharp mind, and a passion to flying. She also had nobody. Her parents died in one of the revolts that took place after the Battle of Endor. That was why she was staying at the academy also for weekends. Most kids were coming home then, and the ones who were living on Lothal attended only classes, without staying during the night. But there were a few kids, like this girl, who had nobody.

“Yes, Seku?” Hera asked, already expecting an inquiring question.

“How is this useful to flying?” the girl asked. Hera smirked. It was a question she asked herself a lot in her youth and that she found was very important when she was trying to grasp engineering all by herself.

“Wonderful question, Seku. Does anybody have an idea?” Hera asked, and looked around the class. Kids mostly looked down to the floor or at each other, as she suspected. She was just about to start explaining, when she heard quiet voice from the back of the classroom.

“So we know how to fix something?” asked a boy, a little younger then Seku, a Mon Calamari. He was usually shy, but he was very intelligent. Hera was surprised to hear him speaking up, but was also very pleased.

“That’s a very good answer, Yolin.” she praised him, smiling. “That might seem a bit abstract to you all right now, but this is exactly because of that. You might need to fix something that was broken, to calculate a jump, to check calculations made automatically, you sometimes need to set wings, manually, in right position, depending on the type of ship you’re flying. To do all that, you need to think with logic. And thinking with logic is what mathematics will help you with, even if we don’t like it.” she explained.

“Oh, and maybe when you have to install something in the ship, you have to measure it, to make it fit and you need math then !” said Seku. Hera smiled at her.

“Exactly.” she turned her back to the class again, and ended writing down everything she needed to on the board.

The lesson came by as expected to the end. Hera watched the kids exiting her class from her desk, a sound of familiar chatter filling the air, as they headed for the lunch to the mess hall. Just as she expected, she also found Seku standing by her side, smiling at her. She couldn’t help, but reciprocate the gesture.

“Don’t you ever get tired of questions, little one?” she asked her. Seku shook her head smiling, in the manner that really reminded her of younger Ezra, her lekku swinging from side to side and for the first time Hera noticed how much more relaxed they were, as generally the girl was now. It wasn’t easy at the beginning to get to her. Months passed, before Hera discovered the inquiring, knowledge-seeking side in the little girl. Hera made sure that the girl had not only the roof under her head, but also a mental health help. The girl was doing better, and though, Hera knew it very good that the wounds will never disappear, it was possible to heal, and she knew that there was a future for Seku, a happy one.

“Actually I wanted … I wanted to give something to you, Mrs. Syndulla,” she confessed, scraping behind her earcon, nervously. Hera smiled at her, encouragely, seeing her shyness.

She watched with fascination, as Seku reached to her bag, and placed a datapad on her lap.

“This is a cookbook my mom had. One of the things I have after her. You mentioned that you don’t eat our cuisine much, so I thought maybe it can help, and that you forgot.” she said, still nervous, and Hera’s heart swelled with emotion and pride. Seku had so little and still wanted to share. She tried to not only teach, but also to raise those kids, especially the ones who had no one else to do it for them. She, of course, couldn’t do much, she also didn’t want to be called a preacher of fallen ideas by some of the parents, of which she knew were already rumours. Mostly though, parents were grateful that they’re kids were having someone who could guide them where they couldn’t. Though that was not much of her branch here.

“Thank you, but I can’t accept this. It was your mom’s, so it’s yours now.” she said.

“Yeah, and I’m giving it to you,” she replied. Okay, the kid was smart, she had to admit it. “And I don’t know how to cook.” she added. Hera laughed heartily.

“Me neither to be honest. But I know someone that can. Thank you. You’re invited for all of the dinners then.” she said. Seku smiled at her. Hera reached out, and put her hand on her shoulder.

“Go to others, or you’ll miss the lunch,” she said, and was rewarded with big, bright grin in return.

When Seku left, Hera was still smiling to herself. She packed the things she needed to bring back to the _Ghost_ after the lunch (along with the gift from Seku) and headed to the mess hall herself.

She sometimes liked to walk through the halls alone, like she did now. There was some peacefulness in that and it was very rare in her life. There was always something to do, something to take care of - new kids, setting up lessons, bringing in new ship models, keeping in touch with the old leaders of Rebellion to be updated on everything, to keep a hand on pulse, just in case, helping Ezra and Sabine, raising Jacen. He was much more mature and grown up now, and could take care of himself very well. But she still needed to be his guideline, like she and Kanan were for Ezra and Sabine in that age.

She entered the mess hall, and seeing so many students there filled her with joy and pride. Hearing them chatting, some of them greeting her as she passed by, and most of all seeing them happy, with shared passion and drive in their eyes was something Hera never thought would be so fulfilling and satisfying.

She didn’t have to look long to spot her son, his hair distinguishing him from the most of people. She couldn’t help but smile, seeing him. He was always an open and bright child and he grew into a talkative, charming, life and soul of the party young man. Sometimes even too charming for Hera’s liking. He was only sixteen and he was already flirting with anybody he had a chance. Hera of course could blame it only on his genes. There were times when she had been using charm to get what she wanted, but it was Kanan who was always flirting his way through every trouble. And though sometimes it was even funny to watch with their son, it still was something she would prefer him to not use too often, if only for sake of broken hearts he would leave behind.

Nevertheless, she watched him with a smirk on her face, as he was at the centre of attention by the table he was sitting, with the class of students his age. He was gesturing vividly, and talking, probably telling one of his stories. Hera told him a few of them herself, anyway. All eyes were on him, but as she came closer, he noticed her and send her a little smile before turning back to the group.

She leaned against the wall, listening and not interrupting, waiting for him to finish the story. She saw him excusing himself after a moment with that charming smile on his face, and she could swear some of the people by the table sighed with disappointment. He came to her, still smiling.

“I was waiting for you!” he said, she rolled her eyes, though she had a smirk on her face.

“ _You_ were waiting for _me_ , huh?” she said. This time he rolled his eyes. “Okay, do you want to eat at home or here?” she asked him.

“Was someone cooking?” he asked.

“Well, not yet. Zeb will be here with Kallus in something like two hours, and he’s about to make dinner. Oh, and you will help him by the way.” she replied. Jacen moaned.

“Mom, you know I hate cooking. Beside I have classes then!” he said, thinking he outsmarted her.

“No, honey, you don’t. We had cancelled two last lessons today, remember?” she said. He sighed. “And I have something interesting for you as well.” she continued.

“Do you?” he asked, smiling wickedly. She smiled back. “I said interesting, not necessarily something that you will like,” she said, winking.

“Mom.” he grumbled.

“Okay, let’s grab something from here and go to _Ghost_ , sounds good?” she asked smiling, and Jacen nodded.

They walked through the halls together, talking, with food in hands. Jacen took Hera’s bag without a word, and she was about to protest, but she realized that she was grateful for that. Recently, her arm started to hurt more than it should. She smiled at him.

“Thank you,” she said. Jacen smiled at her sweetly.

“Were you at the doctor yet?” he asked. She rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t have time,” she said. He mimicked her gesture.

“Do I have to remind you that you need this arm? You’re a pilot.” he said sarcastically, but also trying to get her to think about her health.

“Oh, really, I didn’t know,” she answered with the same dose of sarcasm.

Jacen sighed, and there was a moment of silence before he spoke up again:

“Mom, all jokes aside, you should really go,” he said. She glanced at his worried expression and smiled a little.

“I will. But after the semester ends.” she said.

“You know, we sooner will make the appointment ourselves for you, if you don’t want to.” Hera shrugged. This might be the only way she would go. And it wouldn’t be the first time her kids would do something like this. They all cared for her, even when she thought she didn’t need any help. But that was when she really did.

They entered the _Ghost,_ and to their surprise there were already almost in complete, all family gathered, with Zeb and Kallus back from Lira San, and Ketsu who finally broke her barriers and started joining them on those family celebrations. Even after she officially became Sabine’s wife she was still very hesitant about how Sabine’s family perceived her. Hera had always arms wide opened, metaphorically speaking, but Ketsu got her trust issues. It’s not like they all didn’t give her a shovel talk, anyway. Sabine was very capable of herself, but Ketsu had to know that, if she ever hurt her again she would have her ass kicked by everyone (with Sabine included). Hera sometimes wondered, if they didn’t scare her too much, but Sabine assured her it wasn’t that. Ketsu just couldn’t believe that there were people in this galaxy who would accept her into their family so freely. The exact opposite of what Hera suspected.

The only one missing was Ezra, but he told her before that he will join them later, with his husband and a new member of their family.

Hera’s heart filled with joy when so many smiles welcomed them. Almost automatically they were covered by arms of their loved ones.

“Hera,” said Sabine putting one arm around her, though they were seeing each other almost day to day. Sabine was holding a few of the classes in her academy, the same way Ezra did. While Hera, herself, was having most of the flying lessons - and also some of the theory classes like mathematics and physics ones - Sabine was also taking on the math and physics, along with the engineering, shooting and art faculty for the ones interested. Zeb held only one class - combat fighting along with martial arts - from the necessity of being on Lira San with Alexandr. Ezra had a lot of work as well. Meditation, lightsaber training, Force training. That wasn’t of course meant for all of the kids, only the Force-sensitive ones. Ahsoka came by from time to time, helping him.

By all means, she wasn’t competing with Luke. Her academy was first and foremost for kids who wanted to learn how to fly, and make their dreams of stars come true. But Jacen needed the training in Force and Ezra did all he could to train him controlling his powers, without showing them too much, and how to use them in a good way. And as he was growing up, Hera started to notice that some of the kids in academy had the same abilities as Jacen. Someone had a really good reflex, almost too good, someone anticipated every move of their opponent in combat training that she was often participating, helping Zeb with some of her own Rylothian combat skills. And some were even openly using Force, in small ways, not detectable for someone who never saw them in a full use. But all of them did know what Kanan and Ezra could do, and she couldn’t be immune to what those kids could do as well, knowing how much troubles it could bring them and their parents. That’s why she asked Ezra to help her with that. He wasn’t sure, if he could do that at the beginning - training Jacen was different. He was a one student, and while sometimes, sure very annoying with the constant questions, he was a family, and Ezra loved him. Training a group of kids was getting on a whole new level.

But when he saw the kids, when he realized that he was in the exact same position, and Force knows what would happen, if Kanan and Hera didn’t take him in, if Kanan didn’t help him, he decided to do the same.

It wasn’t a well known fact either. Officially, there was only one place where Force-sensitive kids could train to be a Jedi, and it was at Luke’s. And to some extreme it was true. Hera didn’t have future Jedi in her school. She had future pilots, some of them Force-sensitive, and the only thing she was doing with Ezra, was helping them to control their powers, to have a better grasp on them and use them when it would be helpful. Lightsaber training was rare and while it did happen, it was one of the less important lessons. Sure, kids loved it, and even the ones who weren’t Force-sensitive could have their chance at learning how to use them. But it was still more of a fun, than nothing more. The important thing was training in the Force and sometimes lightsaber training was helpful in that.

Hera looked at the girl - actually, now a grown up woman - and smiled.

“Everything all right?” she asked. Sabine rolled her eyes.

“Of course, Hera. This is your day. How could it not?” she said. This time Hera rolled her eyes.

“You know what I meant,” she responded.

“Everything’s good. We’re ending sooner tonight, right?” Sabine asked, more wanting a confirmation, than really getting a new information. Hera nodded.

“Kids want to go and celebrate with their mothers. And you wanted to as well.” she said smirking. Sabine smiled at her with affection in her features, but if she wanted to say something it was cut short by Ketsu.

“Happy Mother’s Day, Hera,” she said, and Hera smiled at her.

“Thank you, Ketsu.” she responded, and watched as Ketsu draped her arm around Sabine’s waist. She smiled to herself. They made a great couple.

She turned her head to see Zeb hugging tightly her youngest child, squeezing him, so Jacen almost couldn’t breathe.

“Zeb, let go of him or you will strangle him,” said Kallus. Zeb grinned.

“I didn’t see little brat for almost three weeks!” explained himself Zeb, though he really didn't have to. Everyone knew how much Zeb cared about all of them, but Jacen took a particular place in his heart.

“Zeb, I would like to point out that Alex is right,” said Jacen, and Hera couldn’t stop a small chuckle. Zeb looked her way.

“Okay, kid, I have to give a welcome hug to your mom as well,” he said, and let go of Jacen who was almost immediately hugged by Kallus.

Zeb grinned at her, and she smiled wickedly, before he grabbed her and squeezed tightly. She laughed softly.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” he said to her, and she withdrew to look at him.

“Thank you, Zeb.” she answered, and looked around her galley.

There were so many people there, so many voices filled the air, Kallus engaged in conversation with Ketsu and Jacen, as Zeb talked with Sabine, and they all weren’t even there.

Soon, they all gathered around the table, barely having a place for everybody. The familiar chatter accompanied them, as they were eating, and Hera really lost herself in the moment for a while, before she remembered that they weren’t done with work for today.

“Okay, me and Sabine have classes, so you boys can stay and make a dinner,” Hera said, when they ended.

“Like always,” said Zeb, smirking. Hera smiled a little.

“Yeah, but I have something for you,” she said, and reached out to her bag that was placed against the wall.

She pulled out the datapad that Seku gave her and laid it on the table in front of them.

“Is that what you were talking about?” asked Jacen, glancing at her with curiosity on his features.

“Yeah. One of my students - you know her, her name is Seku - she gave it to me today. She said it belonged to her mother. These are traditional Rylothian recipes.” she said. Jacen actually looked pretty excited.

“Great! I can’t wait to eat them!” he said. She smiled at him.

“You will help Zeb and Alex in making them.” Hera said.

“Do I have to?” he asked, complaining. She nodded smiling.

“But I can go for flying lesson first, right?” he asked. Hera rolled her eyes, though she was smiling.

“You want to go only to show off before the rest of the class,” she said. He grinned at her.

“It’s not my fault I’m so talented,” Jacen said, and Hera resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.

“This is great, Hera. That Seku must really like you.” said Zeb. Hera smiled sadly. That girl had nobody. She wondered how much it was a question of needing a mother figure in her life, and real liking. Though of course, she couldn’t deny that it was somehow related.

She left Zeb and Kallus to their own devices. Ketsu promised to have an eye on them, so they wouldn’t burn her galley down, by bickering more than watching over something being cooked.

With that, she, Sabine and Jacen left for the last classes that day. Sabine had the basic mechanics with the younger kids, and Hera flying with the oldest class which Jacen attended.

When they only got to the external hangars, Jacen run up ahead of her to his group of friends. Hera smirked to herself.

When she approached the students, the silence fell.

“All right people. You know what to do. We’re doing it like always, shuttles first, three in which, you’re changing turns in piloting as every round goes up. We fly as usual, I’m gonna guide you. You all remember the difference in flying between shuttle and fighter. After that - and I want to see everybody make at least one round - we’re going back here and we’re changing to fighters. Everyone has each of course. We won’t be coming out of atmosphere tonight, as we’re ending our classes earlier than usual. Any questions?” she waited ten seconds and was just about to continue, when she saw Jacen’s hand up in the air.

“Yes?” she asked, turning her attention to him.

“Speed limitations?” Jacen asked. She really had to hide her smirk.

“As usual. And I know it’s less of a traffic today, but it doesn’t change a thing. Weather can be tricky this time of year. All right. Anything more?”

She waited, but no one had anything more in mind.

“Okay, you know what to do. On positions.” she said, and they disbanded, everybody to their assigned shuttles.

The lesson came smoothly, if not counting a few warnings she had to shot in Jacen way, as well as few others who liked to go too fast. She understood them, but knew it wasn’t safe with their experience. Of course most of them were training under her wings for five or even six years. And well, Jacen was flying from the moment he started growing inside her. It didn’t change a fact that they all were still quite young. She didn’t want to risk too much. They weren’t at war, so they didn’t have to.

She ended the lesson quite satisfied. It was Jacen who was sulking in the corner.

“Jacen, you know what you did wrong,” she said, as she came by him. He followed her, though she could see he didn’t agree with her. Hera was turning off all the devices, knowing it all will not be used throughout the weekend, so they could exit the hangars.

“Why I can’t go faster? This was barely flying! It’s not fair!” he said, his arms crossed, still not looking directly at her. She sighed, as she locked the blast doors. Then she kept on walking, and heard Jacen walking beside her, anger in his steps.

“I can’t let something bad happen to any of my students. And I can’t treat you differently when you’re among them. Besides it’s too dangerous.” she explained.

“Yeah, so you keep saying,” he said.

“Jacen--”

“What are you so afraid of?” he asked her, his voice raised. She looked at him, her eyes throwing daggers.

“Are you really asking me that?” Hera said, and he understood, pulling his head down.

“Okay, I get it, I’m sorry.” he said. “I just sometimes feel like you keep me too close, because you’re afraid that, if you will let go, you will lose me.” he added, and Hera looked at him shocked. She didn’t realize he could read her so well. She wondered, when did he get so wise?

“Jacen I’m … Okay, I won’t be lying to you - it might be one of the reasons. But it’s not the main case here, okay?” she said. Jacen looked at her, and seeing all the honesty on her face, he believed her.

“Okay. I don’t blame you for anything, you know. I wanted to stay here, and I know I have a choice. I just--” she smiled at him.

“I get it. You need your independence. And I don’t want you to be dependant on me all your life.” she said. He smiled at her, and without a warning brought her closer.

Hera breathed out with relief. It was comforting to hug her son. The truth was, she didn’t want to let him go. She knew she will have to, and she didn’t want to hold him by her side forever and making him unhappy because of that. She just knew how hard it will be. She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling to herself about thinking how tall he was. He was already taller than her (though not much) and he was still growing. She suspected he will get as tall as Kanan.

He withdrew, but kept his arms around her, the same way she did. He smiled at her.

“Don’t worry so much, mom. We all will be okay.” he said, and though it was sometimes still hard to believe in, it was comforting to hear.

She smirked at him.

“My point still stands. You can’t fly so fast.” she said. He rolled his eyes, but was smiling. “At least till you’re officially eighteen.” she added. He chuckled, and let go of her.

They made their way to the _Ghost_ again this day. But this time when they entered there was someone else waiting for them in the common room.

Ezra’s face brighten up at seeing them. He run to them, trying to hug them both at once.

“I’m so glad to see you!” he said. Hera laughed.

“We saw each other yesterday,” she pointed out. Ezra looked at her.

“Doesn't mean I can’t miss you, guys,” he said. Hera smiled at him.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” he said to her. She brought him closer to her in response.

“Were you talking already with Zeb?” she asked him. Ezra nodded.

“I did. I left them alone to not interrupt them. They’re making something big.” he answered. Hera turned to Jacen, smirking. He groaned, seeing the wicked spark in her eye.

“Mom, do I really have to?” Jacen tried to persuade her. She only smiled wider.

“Yes, you do. No discussion.” she said. He looked at her pleadingly, and he knew what he was doing, because Hera had a weak spot for that look, but she learned to be immune to that throughout years when she had to refuse him another and another candy.

“Oh come one, just watch them, and you will learn something. Help them a little!” she encouraged him.

“Why Ezra can’t do that?” she glared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Because Ezra is a grown-up and he just got here. He will help with other things.” she said, and though Jacen knew he lost, he was just as stubborn as she was. 

Eventually, he did go to the galley, leaving Hera and Ezra alone. They sat down by the dejarik table.

“How is everything going?” she asked him, holding his hand, knowing how much he had on his head recently. He smiled at her with tiredness of a parent that she well knew.

“Zekki is giving us a hard time,” he said.

“I can imagine,” she responded, and he smiled at her.

“But he’s wonderful. Jai is already thinking about another one.” he said. Hera chuckled.

“He doesn’t have enough?” she asked, amused.

“Yeah, he would adopt every single orphan if he could. And well, it’s not like I don’t feel the same. But I try to look realistically at this.” Ezra said. “I mean, I would love for Zekki to have a little sister or brother. But not right now.” he continued.

Anything more what they might try to say, was cut off by Jai’s arrival with small bundle in his arms.

“Hello everybody,” he greeted them with a smile, and though Hera knew he was a Governor now, she still saw in him the same kid whom she helped to find his family, so many years ago.

She let Ezra welcome him, before she got up and went to them.

“Hello Jai, I’m glad you could make it today.” she said, greeting him, putting one arm around him. He reciprocated the half-hug.

“It’s always a pleasure to see Ezra’s family,” he said. Hera smiled at him.

“You are a part of this family too, now.” she responded, and received a shy smile in response.

She looked down at the little one in his arms. She smiled at the sleeping Ithorian baby boy.

“Better put him to the crib, if he’s sleeping. It’s better if it will stay that way.” she said, smiling at them. She could see how tired they were, and she very well could relate. Through the first few months of his live, Jacen was giving her a really hard time.

Jai nodded and she stepped away so he could walk to the old Jacen’s crib she placed in the common room, specially for Zekki, since she knew they were coming for the celebration. She watched as he gently placed Zekki in the crib, and smiled when Ezra warned him to be careful, and Jai replied that he always was. It was adorable to watch.

She sat down in the armchair, and boys sat in the booth when they stopped bickering. Maybe not entirely stopped, but enough for them all to talk. They kept their voices quiet to not wake Zekki up.

Unfortunately, someone just couldn’t be quiet. She sighed and walked over to the galley.

“Guys, could you please tone down a little bit? We don’t want to wake Zekki up.” she said. Jacen looked at her, excited, his eyes shining brightly.

“Jai is here with Zekki, already? I need to see him!” he said, and wiped his hands, dirty with cake, on his trousers.

“You’re washing these yourself,” remarked Hera, but he only shrugged. He passed her on his way to the common room.

“Only be quiet, okay?” she asked, and saw him nodding, before he disappeared into the common room.

“Hey I want to see them too!” complained Zeb.

“I’ll change you,” said Kallus, and without anymore words they changed places and Zeb followed Jacen.

“I’ll help you,” said Ketsu, already on the move.

Seeing that everything was working well, Hera came back to the common, and to her armchair. She mostly watched her family, not wanting to interrupt the image that was painting before her eyes. She tried to relax and read something on her datapad, but she soon found that her family was too damn distracting to do that with them around. That’s why she watched them, smiling, thinking about how much changed.

Twenty years ago she wouldn’t even think that it all would end up like this. That she and Kanan will have Jacen. That was what she was always restricting herself from imagining back there. She never wanted to fantasize about something that could never happen with the war around them. She was so concentrated on the moment that she never let herself do that. She realized that it was a mistake as soon as she lost any kind of a future with Kanan. Any kind, except Jacen.

And by all means she never thought as far as to kids starting their own families, extending the one she started with Kanan. She was glad for them to have it, to have people in their life that they could alway count on when she will be gone. Sabine had Ketsu and even though they had a turbulent history behind them, it was what they were building now that was important. And the only thing that Hera saw from Ketsu towards Sabine was love. So, she was sure they were alright.

She smirked thinking about Zeb and Kallus. That no one would ever see coming, because who could see Kallus changing sides and joining Rebellion? But it happened, and Hera never saw a more bright smile on Zeb’s face than when he was looking at Alexandr. She was seeing them the most rarely from all of her family, but thinking about other families it wasn’t that bad. They saw each other practically once a week when Zeb was coming for his classes and was staying for at least 2 days. But he missed his husband, so he was always coming back. Hera was glad he found time for them nevertheless.

Ezra didn’t have a problem with that, since his other half was constantly there, maybe not by his side, but at least on the same planet. Jai had a lot of his own duties as the Governor of Lothal, but he always found few moments for his husband. He usually visited her academy in a lunch time, so he and Ezra could share a meal.

Hera smiled thinking about the two. To say that Ezra’s love life was crazy would be an understatement. For the first few years after he came back he wasn’t one to date much, and Hera got it very well. He had a lot of healing to do, and letting into his heart a new person wasn’t what he needed in that years. But then, when Sabine and Ketsu held a ceremonial wedding on Krownest, with all Sabine’s family, Ezra and Tristan started to be a thing for a while. It didn’t last very long though, not even a year. Though, at the first glance, they seemed like a good match, they soon found they were too different to be in a romantic relationship. ( _“I’m never dating a Mandalorian ever again! You guys are crazy!”_ he said to Sabine after he and Tristan broke up.) Sabine made them part in peace, though, since she didn’t want to lose any of her brothers. Now, they were friends, and Hera was glad they were wise enough to know to think about their sister too.

Then Ezra had a few false-starts and no one he dated actually cared about anything more than that he was _Ezra Bridger._ The one who didn’t was Luke Skywalker, but they parted ways when Ezra didn’t agree to join his new order. Additionally, Hera also didn’t agree to send Jacen there. He was too young then, and Hera also didn’t agree with all of Luke’s methods though she never lost any kind of respect towards him. She also didn’t forget to ask Jacen about it. Despite his young age he was already conflicted. She could see that he wanted to go on the one hand. But he didn’t want to leave Ezra, or her. She would let him, if that was what he really wanted, and she knew Ezra would let go of his student as well. But he prefered to stay with her, and he had his Force-sensitiveness trained pretty well by Ezra, and sometimes Ahsoka when she visited, and Hera was glad he agreed with her on that. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep him beside her forever, and she was thinking about it for the second time that day. But it was true. She wanted him to be happy, that’s why she gave him a choice. But there was just something off about Luke’s idea and she didn’t know what. But Jacen, fortunately felt it too. And he wanted to learn from Ezra.

Them staying on Lothal resulted in meeting with Jai Kell. After he took Ryder’s position when the man was too old to serve people well, they decided to invite him to the academy. None of them would say then that old, childhood friends will become something more.

But, here she was, looking at them, happily gushing over their just-adopted son. Hera couldn’t also believe it that she was now sort of a grandma - only in age of forty-five. She just hoped Jacen won’t make her a surprise. Though, she wasn’t much afraid of that. It was just a thought that occurred to her.

She came closer to them, noticing that Jacen and Zeb were already gone. She left the datapad on the table, and walked to them, laying her hand on Ezra’s shoulder.

“How is he going?” Hera asked, smiling. Ezra turned to her, with a wonderful smile. She could tell that pride was filling him, almost radiating.

“Good. He just woke up.” he said. Hera leaned closer, taking a look into the crib. Here he was, small and pink, tiny hands in the air, cooing quietly. He opened his eyes, big as for Ithorian, and Hera reached down, caressing his cheek. He turned his head towards it, and opened up his mouth a bit. Hera chuckled.

“Looking for a food, huh?” she asked him.

She looked sideways when she felt something bumping her shoulder. She found out it was Jai with a bottle.

“You can feed him,” he said. She smiled at him and took the bottle.

She was gently rocking Zekki after she fed him, when Sabine entered the room.

“Hera do you have a moment?” she asked, and only after she noticed Zekki, she smiled at him. He was out of her sight, however, when Hera handed him to Ezra.

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Hera asked, coming closer to her.

“You know the kids that are staying here for weekends, right?” Sabine asked, and Hera nodded.

“So they stayed behind when I ended classes, and just kinda didn’t want to go to their rooms, so I let them, but I had to sent them away at last, and I don’t know. I think it might be a sad day for them, so maybe we could, you know, invite them here?” she said.

“Of course, totally,” she said, nodding her head.

“Great, I’ll go get them then,” Sabine said, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Soon, Hera got lost in the preparations, watching over the kids, and making sure nothing was on fire and no one was hurt. She was so distracted that she only got a moment to think when they were all sitting, all chairs brought to common room from galley and additionally from academy, so everyone had a seat.

She looked around the table. Ezra bickering with Zeb, like they always did. Jai asking Ketsu to pass him the bowl with the salad. Jacen trying to get rid of Seku and two other kids from his lap, because they were making it difficult to eat. Chopper rolling through the common, Force knew where, but Hera didn’t like the way he laughed. She suspected there was another prank waiting for Ezra and Zeb. Kallus wistfully looking across the table, and just now Hera noticed the gray hair in his sideburns.

She looked at all of them and she was so proud.

She was drown out from her thoughts when she felt someone trying to get her attention by pulling at her trousers. She smiled, remembering how Jacen loved to do that when he was younger.

She looked down to see Seku, smiling shyly at her.

“I wanted to thank you for inviting us,” the girl said, and Hera’s heart broke, seeing how much it meant for Seku, and how she needed a family.

“Of course, _kella_ ,” she said, the nickname she used for Jacen as well, automatically slipping from her. “We all are a family.” she continued, and seeing Seku smiling so joyfully, seeing how much hope it was giving to the little girl was really uplifting and fulfilling.

“Can I tell you a secret?” asked Seku, and Hera nodded her head, leaning down to girl so she could whisper it to her.

“I gave you this book because I think of you as my mom. Kinda.” she said. Hera looked at her. “Oh, honey,” she said, trying to gather a sensible response. “I know you aren’t, and I love my mom, but--” she started, but Hera interrupted her, shaking her head. “You don’t have to explain yourself, Seku. I understand this. See, Ezra and Sabine, and probably even Zeb think the same of me. But they love their born mothers too. It’s okay.” she said, and she was glad she did, because Seku looked at her like she was really grateful.

“Can I hug you?” Seku asked. Hera smiled.

“Of course,” she said and opened up her arms.

Seku snuggled to her for a long time, before two other students that stayed - Mirialan boy named Fabio and a human boy named Garik - dragged her back to their play, which mostly included racing each other around her ship.

It was a little later, after they ate most of the delicious dishes that were prepared for the day, after she made the younger kids go to bed and sleep, after she sat down around the table again that day, when she realized that she really became a mother, even for her students. For some less, for some more, but to the ones who had no one, like Seku, especially.

She watched her family again that evening. She watched as Jacen joked around with Ezra and Sabine, how Zeb teared up as he was holding Zekki, and she couldn’t help, but to feel pure love filling her heart. She loved them. She lived for them, and for other people needing her help, but she was also living simply for herself. That was why the academy existed. That was why she was teaching flying. That was why she and Jacen were going on their, sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly, adventures to unknown (depending on how busy they were) only exploring, only travelling. She never rested, she never could. And she still remembered Kanan, she still missed him, but now she was genuinely happy. She had more people in her live to love than she ever thought possible, she was _doing_ what she loved, she was helping people and she was flying. She was giving everything of herself and was taking what she got in return.

She got reminded of it, when Jacen came up to her and kissed her cheek gently.

“Thank you mom,” he said, and she looked at him with question on her face, though she was smiling.

“For what?” she asked.

“Everything, I guess,” he answered, smiling sheepishly. She looked at him, and ruffled his hair affectionately.

“He would be proud of you. I am proud.” she said. Jacen smiled at her sadly.

“I know that he is.” he said, and Hera’s breath was taken away when he hugged her tightly, out of sudden. “And I’m glad that you are.” he mumbled, and let go of her. She smirked at him, taking his hand.

“How could I not?” she answered, with what both knew was a rhetorical question. Then, Hera made a place for Jacen to sit beside her.

She looked at them, and she could see so much diversity, many different personalities. But she also was able to notice Kanan in Ezra’s behavior and teaching methods, in Sabine’s attitude, in Jacen, a little also in herself.

But most of all she could see herself in them. The good sides of her, sometimes the one not so desired traits that either Jacen inherited after her, or Ezra and Sabine learned from her that, in some way, all of them, took after her. In that moment Hera could see how much they all grown up or were still growing up, and she was so, so proud.

She hoped she raised them good. She knew she did everything she could. In some way, she was also proud of herself. And sometimes she did had doubts. Did she do whatever it was the best for them? Did she was enough for them? Was all her efforts having effects?

But then she looked at them, like she did today, pride and joy filling her heart. And she was certain.

She couldn’t raise them better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to explain something - Ezra is the only one with a named child here, because he's the one I can see the most in the role of a parent from all of Hera's kids. It doesn't mean that the rest don't have kids. They can, and they do, if you can imagine more little ones running somewhere around Ghost. I definetly can, but I wanted to leave it as a choice for a reader, if Sabine and Zeb adopted kids of their own or not, or will in the future. All you can imagine is great guys, and if you can see more kids there, it's amazing and I would be excited to hear what kids you guys can see in this story for Zeb, Sabine and also maybe more for Ezra <3


	6. Around 28-30 ABY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter. Does anybody know a date of the beginning of the war with First Order ? Wookieepedia didn't help me with that, so you have more of a time period here than a concrete year. Think of this chapter's time period as just at the beginning of the war with the First Order.
> 
> Hope you're gonna like it, even though there's so much angst in this. But there's also hope.

Jacen never thought it would come to this.

Through all his life, there were a lot of things that were uncertain. He was born into the war after all. Everything had been changing - the planet they were living on, the friends he had, the safety of situation. But there was always one thing that he was sure of, and that was constantly there. One person that was like an anchor.

And it was his mother.

Even when she was leaving for missions, he always knew she would come back. She made sure for him to have a family when she wasn’t near. But she was by his side whenever she could. She always came back to him.

And when the war was over, he was certain of it more than ever. And he was right. She was there, every step of the way. His first steps. His first words. His first fly. His first ship. His first crush. Through all of his doubts and frustrations. All the tantrums he threw when he was a teenager. And she was there, waiting for him to let his frustrations out, sometimes challenging him when he needed that, sometimes just waiting and listening. She explained him everything he wanted to know. She made sure he knew his father, even though he died before Jacen was born.

He looked at the mural that Sabine painted so many years ago with their family there. With Zeb, with Ezra, with Sabine herself, surrounded by loth-cats and loth-wolves. With his father. He smiled a little seeing the resemblance. He even got the shape of eyebrows after him. His gaze dropped down to the Twi’lek standing in front of him. His mother. She was beautiful. But the things that he could see when he was looking at the picture, and that were practically radiating from her were endless. Strength, hope, understanding, patience, passion, determination, love. All she was. All she taught him.

And his father beside her, his hand on her shoulder, like a beacon, guiding them from the dark. That’s how it had been. He wasn’t physically there. But Jacen could feel him. He knew who he was, he knew his wisdom, he felt like he learned it from Ezra and his mother. He knew his warmth and his care because sometimes he could literally feel it. If it was more through the Force, his mom’s stories (and how there was a light in her eyes when she was talking about him), or the sher will of his imagination, he didn't know. Probably a mix of all.

His heart ached when he looked at them, when he looked at her. He had difficulties breathing. Technically, he knew she will die first, because that’s how it was. Parents were going before their children, or at least that’s how it should be. He still wasn’t ready for her being gone.

He thought she’s gonna see his future life partner, he thought he will be nervous of her approval though he knew she was going to love whoever he would end up with. He thought she will see his children, either born or adopted. He thought she will be there when he will be going up on another steps in his career ladder. He thought she will be there during his major life decisions. And she was, but not through all of them.

He felt hot tears running down his cheeks. 

He missed her so much, already. And it wasn’t even a month that she was gone.

But she was gone forever.

He felt a sudden fury filling him. If only it all didn’t start once again. If only it all didn’t happen. How Ben Solo dared to do this?

It was easy to blame one person, though Jacen knew it never worked like that. That it took thousands of people to start a war.

He still couldn’t stop himself from thinking that if Solo didn’t come to the dark side, if he didn’t ignite the spark of war, than his mom would still be alive.

Of course, she couldn’t stay still. He knew she will want to fight, beside her age, beside her health. The war was always in her blood, and he knew this. He even agreed with her. They had to fight. They couldn’t just let people suffer once again.

She could have just leave that to him.

He smiled thinking about it. She never would. She wanted to get involved personally. He understood why. He just always thought that there was a peaceful death awaiting her, a death of old age and nothing more, surrounded by her family, maybe even a death in her sleep.

But it was somehow ironically bittersweet that she died doing what she loved the most - flying.

Jacen didn’t want to think about the fact that she sacrificed herself, the same way his dad did. In a really similar manner. There was no other pilot that could do it. The maneuver like that only she could do, though he was certain he could as well. But of course she didn’t let him. He couldn’t blame her for trying to save him and the rest of her children. She saved so many that day. She saved the future of the Resistance. She saved him, but she also saved Sabine, Ezra, Seku, and the rest of her squadron, the rest of her students.

He looked at her face on the mural once more. He reached out with his finger and touched her painted cheek. If she could only be here now, with him.

He shut down his eyes, not wanting to cry again. He had something to do now. He will still grieve her, but it was a time to move on and do what she would do. For her.

“Hey kid, you’re alright?” he heard from behind him, and felt the familiar weight of the hand on his shoulder, so when her turned and saw Ezra, he wasn’t surprised.

“Yeah. I’m just … you know.” he answered, his head hung low, not really knowing what he wanted to say. But he knew that Ezra will understand.

“I do. But hey --” he said, and the tone of his voice made Jacen look up at him. “ -- You are not alone, okay? I want you to remember that you still have family on this ship. That’s what Hera, that’s what your parents taught me. We will always be a family.” said Ezra. Jacen nodded, closing his eyes to stop the tears that started gathering there, from falling.

“I miss her. There was so much more I wanted her to see.” he said, opening his eyes and looking at Ezra,

“I know kid. I know.” he said, with a broken voice. Jacen couldn’t help, but to close his arms around him in a comforting embrace.

They stayed like that for a moment.

“Come on, kid. Everyone is waiting for you.” said Ezra, after they withdrew.

Jacen threw one more look at the mural. She will be in his heart forever.

Finally he turned, and made his way to the _Ghost_ , side by side with Ezra. _Ghost_. Officially his ship now.

 _And isn’t it really becoming a ship of ghosts_ , he thought, a little bitter.

He shook the thought away, as he entered the common room. He was wrong. There were so many people still alive. There were still so many people that needed help. And there were still so many people that _wanted_ to help.

And he had a prove, as he looked around at everyone gathered. So many people, so many species. So many friends and family.

He looked at all these faces - some very familiar, some not so much. He already had more, than his mother had, when she was starting her own cell.

“Let’s get to work,” he said, a will to declare some long-ass, epic speech all gone. There was nothing new he had to say, and he already gave all of them a motivational talk earlier.

He watched as everybody split, going into their own direction, to their jobs. He didn’t even had to look to know who stayed by his side.

With heavy heart he made his way to cockpit, Sabine and Ezra following him.

The sight of his childhood playroom, of his mother’s kingdom, of the place where he was practically born, of her pilot chair, without her in it, hurt. But there were lights illuminating in the room, making it lit delicately. Outside the window a new dawn was raising.

He patted Chopper’s dome as he passed him on his way to pilot chair. He stroked the seat as he sat down in it. He turned around to see Sabine in her old, colorful seat, and Ezra right beside her in the back. He shifted his gaze to the co-pilot’s seat, once his, once his father’s, now with Seku by the controls.

Looking at them he got remembered why all of them were making a family. It wouldn’t be possible without his mom. She brought them all together. Her kids and her students. She brought them all together and made a home for them. He knew that he wasn’t the only one who will remember her forever. She had shaped them into the people they were. She saved them and protected them when no one else would. She gave them a shelter, a home. She gave them love.

The worst thing that he could think about, was what they were about to face. And not because he was afraid. Being brave was one of the things his mother taught him really well and she was a great example of.

But when he thought about how hard his parents fought, how many things they sacrificed, how they wanted to make this galaxy better and how it mattered not even for 30 years, it was depressing.

With that came another thought, a more optimistic one, a comforting one. They did made so many people’s lives better. He could see it in all the students of his mom gathered on this ship to celebrate her. He knew that they constantly helped people and that it was worth it.

And now he had to make sure her teachings, her sacrifices didn’t go to waste.

“Where to, Captain?” asked Seku. He smirked, more to himself than anyone else.

“Freedom.” he answered. He could feel it that everyone in the cockpit smiled. Even Chopper, in his own way.

If they’re gonna honor their mother, they’re gonna do it good. Fighting for what she was fighting. Doing what she raised them to do, and what she taught them to do.

Helping people. Flying for freedom.

Giving hope to the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this. After Rebels ended (or more like after watching Jedi Night, I don't remember tbh) I was even more angry at sequel trilogy for destroying what our heroes fought for so hard. That includes of course Luke and Leia for example. But the most devastating for me, was when I thought of Kanan sacrificing himself and the future with his family, when I thought of Hera fighting all her life, sacrificing her personal life for the cause, and I thought what was the point of all this, if it's all destroyed again by the First Order? 
> 
> That's why Jacen's existence is even better than I thought at the beginning. He can carry the values of his parents on, and make their sacrifaces not to be in vain. That kid is an embodiment of hope, just like his mother, at least for me. 
> 
> [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15454965) is my official apology for this fic and it's pure Kanera fluff, if someone needs it.
> 
> I hope you're enjoyed this story and that it didn't break your heart in the end. The final thing I tried to show was hope that was sparked in Jacen, Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and a lot of other young people that I'm sure Hera influenced throughout her life.
> 
> Thank all of you for such an amazing comments, for the feedback, for reading and liking, thank you  
> [Anoray](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anoray/pseuds/Anoray), for the constant beta support. You all are amazing <3


End file.
